Beat that my heart skipped
by Emma-face
Summary: The sequel to If you're Irish...Sadie and Dermy are living in Bristol now and everything is going well...for now! Who knows what's in store for them. Naomi/Emily, Effy/Sadie oc , Katie/Dermy oc
1. This is Halloween

**A/N: **This is the sequel to my OC fic If you're Irish! If you haven't read that here's what you missed. Kieran and Gina got married and Kieran's niece and nephew from Ireland came over for the wedding and threw a massive party where Effy ended up kissing Sadie(Kieran's niece) then Effy told Sadie that she really liked her and wanted to start something with her and Sadie told Effy that she had a kid!!! It didn't put Effy off though, nor did meeting Sadie's very liberal and very entertaining mother Anne Marie. The wedding went off without a hitch (pun) and left Naomi and Emily wondering what their own wedding would be like... Sadie and Dermy(her brother) announced that they would be moving to Bristol (and Sadie's daughter Aiden of course) so Dermy could open his own tattoo shop then At the reception Dermy threatened Freddie for being a dick to Effy and then he ended up kissing Katie!

Anyway this is the first chapter, I hope everyone enjoys it - as always review and let me know what you think! =]

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The room was dark, much darker than usual. The only sources of light were the flickering candles held in hallowed out skulls and ornate, gothic looking candlesticks that cast an eerie glow on the thousands of cobwebs that hung all over the place. Cast iron shackles had been bolted to the walls in different places; some of them covered in blood and one with what looked to be a dismembered arm hanging from it. A putrefied skull rotted on a pyre on the coffee table. It sent a shudder up Effy's back when she looked around the usually bright room.

"I love what you've done with the place." She chuckled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. In the corner of the room her girlfriend giggled as she distributed the last few fake cobwebs. "You really don't do things by halves do you?"

"Well it is Derm's favourite holiday you know, so we have to go all out." Sadie grinned as she made her way towards Effy. Her long red hair was pulled back off her face and her jeans and vest top were covered in cotton wool cobwebs. Her arms were splashed with fake blood and she'd even managed to get some on her face. Effy laughed at the sight of her.

"You look like a hot, deranged psycho killer from a low budget slasher movie." She reached out to wipe the blood off her nose and kissed her.

"You think psycho killers are hot?" Sadie raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"No." The brunette smiled sweetly and shook her head. "I think _you_ are hot."

"Thanks." The older girl said cockily, kissing her before she had the chance to retort. By the time they broke apart Effy had forgotten what she was going to say.

"Where's Aiden?" She asked, thinking the toddler probably shouldn't see the living room like this as she noticed the fake blood spatter on the wall.

"In the kitchen carving pumpkins with Naomi and Emily." Sadie informed her, taking her hand and leading her down the hall towards them.

"Hello Effy!" Aiden grinned, elbow deep in pumpkin flesh and pleased as ever to see the brunette. Emily sat beside her tentatively watching over everything she was doing while Naomi was busy carving her own pumpkin.

"What are you doing?" Effy asked in her most intrigued sounding voice.

"Make a pumpkin." The little girl said proudly as she threw a spoonful of pumpkin seeds into the designated bowl on the table.

"Wow!" She sounded impressed. "Are Naomi and Emily helping you?"

"No I help me." The mini Sadie remained as defiantly independent as ever.

"Alright then." Effy chuckled, sorry she had asked. "Where's Dermy?"

"He and Katie went into town to pick up the costumes." Emily explained. She still found it a little odd to refer to them as a couple even though they had been seeing each other for months it had only been official for a few weeks.

"Then he has to pick up Grainne and Nainsi." Sadie added. Her cousins were flying over for the Halloween party.

"So what does the living room look like Eff?" Emily asked. "None of us have been allowed in."

"Hey there's a reason for that!" Sadie huffed. "We want it to have the full effect when you see it tonight."

"It will be worth it." Effy assured them. She'd never seen anyone go as far with decorating as they had. She wondered what it would be like at Christmas. Emily huffed and made some comment about favouritism and Effy being under the thumb which she ignored.

"Well what do you think?" Naomi asked as she proudly revealed her pumpkin face to them. The orange face stared back at them with crooked squinting eyes and fangs.

"It's great babe." Emily smiled encouragingly at her girlfriend.

"Really scary." Effy added with just the slightest hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah." Sadie fought hard to suppress a laugh. "We'll just...keep it away from Dermy's."

"Why?" Naomi's eyebrows knit together as she frowned.

"It might scare yours." Sadie chuckled as she moved across the room and carefully lifted another pumpkin out of one of the cupboards. She turned it round to show them the very detailed sketch of a vampire's face that her brother had spent three hours carving last night. Naomi's jaw dropped at the level of detail and she hugged her mediocre one closer to her.

"You shouldn't feel bad. He is an artist after all." Sadie reminded her.

"I like yours better." Emily reassured the blonde. "It's cute."

Naomi perked up after Emily flattered her pumpkin for a while and Aiden eventually removed all the innards of her pumpkin with the help of Effy. Sadie cut a hole in either side and tied a rope through it making a handle. She lined the inside with a plastic bag because no one wants to eat sweets that taste like pumpkin juice.

"Now let's get this mess cleared up because someone in here needs a bath before they get their costume on." She said in her authoritive mum voice. The other girls still found it slightly weird how even they responded to it.

"Well I didn't want to say anything but you do kind of stink." Naomi teased her sort of sister.

"Oi!" Sadie exclaimed indignantly narrowing her eyes at the blonde. "Bitch!"

-

"Diarmuid! Diarmuid!" Two think Northern Irish accents cut across the din of the train station. He waved to acknowledge their presence in the hope it would shut them up. He squeezed Katie's hand slightly as the approached his cousins.

"Hi." He greeted them with a hug.

"Hey." They smiled back. Nainsi's eyes lingered on the brunette beside him for a second.

"Katie, right?" She asked, faking uncertainty.

"Right." Katie smiled back with the same amount of attitude.

"Eh this suitcase isn't going to carry itself you know." Grainne interrupted their staring competition by dropping their bag at Diarmuid's feet. He dutifully picked it up with one hand and reached for Katie's hand with the other to reassure her; he knew if he was in her situation he'd be shit scared of his cousins. He led the way out of the busy bus depot.

"So what's your apartment like?" Nainsi asked.

"And where will we be staying?" Grainne added.

"It's lovely. And Aiden has graciously offered to let you sleep in her princess room." He replied.

"Who is coming to this party tonight?" Grainne asked.

"And what are you dressing up as?" Nainsi added.

This stream of double questions kept going until they reached the apartment. Katie Fitch could talk a lot but even she felt exhausted by the pair.

"We're back!" Diarmuid called when he opened the door.

"Great!" Sadie called from upstairs. "How was your flight?" She shouted over the sound of splashing and giggles.

"It was alright." Grainne looked confused. "What's going on up there?"

"Aiden's having a bath." Sadie answered, appearing at the bottom of the stairs with splash marks all down her top.

"And you just left her alone up there?" Nainsi shrieked half shocked half panicked. Sadie looked at her like she'd gone mad.

"Give me some credit Nance." She rolled her eyes. "Effy is with her."

"Oh." She sighed with relief. Katie wondered if Effy was really qualified to supervise a toddler in the bath.

"Where's Emily?" Katie asked suddenly noticing her sister's absence.

"She went home to get ready. She wants to come to Kieran and Gina's to see Aiden in her costume before the party." Sadie explained.

"Oh cute." Katie cooed. She had grown to love the little girl since she started dating Dermy; it was hard not to. "I might do that too actually."

"Good idea." Diarmuid smiled. He liked to see his girlfriend interacting with his niece.

"Sadie!" Effy squealed from upstairs as Aiden giggled hysterically.

"I better get up there..." She looked up the stairs dubiously. "Do you two want to come up and I'll show you Aiden's room?"

She knew her brother would probably want some privacy to say goodbye to Katie. They were still in that nauseatingly cute honeymoon period of the relationship. Sadie opened the first door at the top of the stairs and flicked on the light. The room had been painted pale lilac with a pink princess border around the middle. There was a double bed pushed against the far wall, under the window, which her cousins were grateful for except that it was dressed in Peppa Pig sheets.

"Well I certainly won't be getting any tonight." Grainne remarked upon seeing them.

"Damn right you won't be getting any action in my daughter's bed." Sadie confirmed. "Think of these sheets as contraception."

Nainsi laughed at her sister's misfortune, she had been talking about the fit skater boy from the wedding the whole way over.

"Anyway make yourselves at home; I'm going to go deal with whatever state the bathroom and my girlfriend are in." She smiled and excused herself. She paused in the doorway of the bathroom where Effy was kneeling at the side of the bath completely soaked. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"I think we got a bit carried away with the splashing." The sodden brunette admitted guiltily.

"A bit?" Sadie scoffed as she pulled another towel out of the cupboard. "Come on; let's get you _both_ dried off."

"I was going to take her to your mum's before we go to Kieran and Gina's. What do you think?" Sadie asked casually as she helped Aiden into her fairy wings. Effy was sitting on the edge of her bed towel drying her damp hair.

"Really?" She smiled at her thoughtful girlfriend. "She'd love that."

"Yeah, of course." She smiled. "Aiden wants to show Anthea her pretty costume, don't you button?"

Aiden nodded enthusiastically and giggled.

"We're all ready now." Sadie smiled at her daughter than turned to Effy. "What do you think?"

"You are a very pretty fairy." Effy smiled while Aiden spun around to better display her dress. It was a white vest with pieces of pastel chiffon puffing out from the waist. The whole thing was covered in glitter and sequins just like her wings.

"Alright you're ready." Sadie finished adjusting the wings. "Want to go show Uncle Dermy before we leave?"

"Yes." The child bounced excitedly, sprinkling glitter all over Sadie's bed.

"Go on then, he's in his room." She watched the almost two year old race down the hall, wings flapping behind her.

"She's so cute." Effy giggled as Sadie dropped onto the bed beside her.

"She's not the only one." Sadie grinned and pulled her girlfriend down for a kiss.

-

"Katie?" Naomi looked shocked when she answered the door.

"Expecting someone else?" The brunette scoffed, she had text Emily to say she was coming round.

"Yes actually." The blonde retorted cheekily.

"Let me in Campbell." She rolled her eyes and pushed passed her. She ran up the stairs to find her sister stretched out on Naomi's bed in her bra and jeans.

"Oh God! Ew!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust and screamed. "For fucksake can't you two keep you knickers on for five fucking minutes?"

Emily and Naomi blushed appropriately and looked away. Katie moved to sit down on the bed but quickly reconsidered it choosing to drop her bag beside a chair in the corner instead. She began to extract different items from the bag and set them on the desk.

"Well get ready then, Sadie and Effy will be here soon." She stared at them. Shouldn't take them too long to get ready since they were mostly undressed when she arrived; she shuddered imagining it. Emily grabbed her costume and headed to the bathroom, still not able to look Katie in the eye.

"Are you sure you've got enough tan there Katie?" Naomi said sarcastically looking at the three bottles now sitting on her desk.

"It's for my costume." She sighed. She slightly regretted her decision to come here now. She stripped off her baggy clothes until she was standing in just her underwear and pulled out an orange looking glove. Naomi didn't even realise she was still watching her.

"Would you mind not perving on me Naomi? You are kind of dating my sister." Katie smirked.

"As if I'd perve on you when I've seen the better Fitch completely naked." Naomi grinned back as Katie groaned in disgust.

"Thanks for the mental image!" She scowled. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Oh, yeah." Naomi had almost forgotten why Katie was standing in her room in her underwear smearing copious amounts of sun shimmer on herself. Katie giggled quietly.

"Muff munching pervert." She muttered under her breath with a grin.

"Fucking hetero tease." Naomi grumbled back giggling to herself. They shared a look and fell about laughing.

"What's going on?" Emily was confused when she returned in her costume. Seeing her sister and her girlfriend laughing like that together was not an everyday occurrence.

"Nothing." Katie shook her head and tried to regain her composure. Emily looked to Naomi.

"Me and your sister were just...bonding." She smiled. Emily looked between them, seriously doubting that that was the case but if they were getting along better then she wouldn't complain. It would make her life a whole lot easier.

-

"Trick or treat." Sadie grinned at Anthea when she answered the door.

"Well aren't you adorable?" The blonde woman cooed at Aiden.

She had to admit that at first she found it strange that Effy had fallen for a girl, but the happiness the relationship brought the young girl was undeniable and that was all she ever wanted for her daughter. The poor girl had had a bit of a shit time before she met Sadie. Anthea also had reservations when she found out that Sadie had a child. For one thing it took her a while to grasp exactly how a lesbian gets accidently pregnant but when Effy told her the story she saw that it was yet another thing the two girls had in common; their troubled pasts. When she met Aiden she couldn't even remember why she'd been worried, she was the politest and best behaved child Anthea had ever met. It was hard not to fall in love with her instantly.

"Anfea!" Aiden greeted Effy's mother. "I'm a fairy."

"I can see that." She smiled and dropped a handful of sweets into her pumpkin. "You're a beautiful fairy."

Aiden beamed at the compliment and was even more thrilled by the sweets Anthea was continuing to load into her little pumpkin.

"So how's things?" Sadie asked when Effy ran upstairs to grab her costume. Years of bar work had gifted her with the ability to make conversation with pretty much anyone under any circumstance.

"Oh, you know, same shit different day really." She chuckled drily. "What about you? How's your brother's shop doing?"

"Fantastic actually. It should be opening next week." She smiled. It was hard to believe that the dream her brother had always thought impossible would be coming true in such a short time.

"That's great." Anthea smiled sincerely. "What about this party? All set for it?"

"Her living room looks like a dungeon." Effy reappeared in the door.

"You're welcome to come along." Sadie offered. "If you think you can keep up with us that is."

Anthea laughed. "I don't think my dear old daughter would be too happy if I showed up."

"Damn right." Effy mumbled under her breath so only Sadie could hear.

"Besides my days of partying like that are long over." She assured them feeling a pang of nostalgia.

"Nonsense! I bet you can still keep up with the best of them." Sadie flashed that disarming grin of hers. Effy rolled her eyes. Her girlfriend was too charming for her own good; no wonder her mother was completely in love with her.

"We better get going though. Aiden tell Anthea where we're going now." Sadie said as she scooped the child up in her arms.

"Ke-yan and Gina's house." She said matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Anthea feigned amazement.

"Have a sleepover." Aiden nodded with a grin.

"Wow." She never failed to be impressed by the child's vocabulary.

"Thanks for the sweets Anthea." Sadie smiled heading out the door with Effy following close behind.

"You're welcome." The blonde woman laughed. "Thanks for calling in. Have fun tonight."

"We will." Effy promised.

"See you later." Sadie called back over her shoulder. Effy looked at her and shook her head laughing.

"What?" She asked defensively.

"She already loves you. You don't have to try so hard."

"I'm not trying anything." Sadie pouted. "I'm just naturally a lovely person."

By the time they reached Kieran and Gina's Aiden was bouncing with excitement and sugar.

"Treat a treat." She squealed when Gina answered the door.

"Oh my God!" The blonde exclaimed. "She is so cute. Kieran you have to come see this!"

"What?" He grumbled as he sulked out of the living room.

"Isn't she adorable?" She smiled. Aiden was loving the attention.

"Cute as a button." He rolled his eyes. Not that his great niece wasn't adorable, he just wasn't one to gush. Sadie understood that. Gina huffed.

"Naomi, Emily, Katie! Come see Aiden." She shouted up the stairs, not satisfied with her husband's reaction.

"Oh look." Emily had a broody look in her eye when she fussed over Aiden.

"I'm a fairy." The little red head played to her audience. They took it in turns admiring her. Sadie was entertained and filled with emotion at the same time.

"Been sunbathing Katie?" Sadie chuckled at the older twin when the fuss subsided.

"It's for my costume!" She growled in frustration. There was some more playful teasing, most of it coming from Kieran before the subject of Katie's incredibly orange skin was dropped. Aiden, now disinterested in the conversation since it didn't revolve around her, made herself at home in the middle of the floor and got stuck into the sweets in her pumpkin.

"All of her stuff is in this bag." Sadie informed Gina, handing over the backpack she had been carrying. "You have her milk and stuff don't you?"

"Yes." Gina nodded. She was genuinely excited about babysitting; it was so nice to have a little one in the house.

"And the cot is all set up." Kieran added proudly, choosing not to mention that he had almost lost a finger in the process.

"Well that's everything then." Sadie sighed and called her daughter. "Come and give mummy a hug."

Aiden ran to her and gave her a hug and several sticky kisses. Katie, Naomi and Emily still found it strange that Sadie was "mummy" though Effy had gotten used to it now; she hardly even noticed it anymore.

"You be a good girl, alright?" She said in a warning tone. "And I'll come pick you up in the morning. I love you."

"Love you too." The little girl gave her mum one final hug before hurrying back to her sweets.

"You might want to cut her off soon." Sadie suggested in a hushed tone.

"But that's what Halloween is all about!" Kieran scolded his niece.

"Fine then. Let her eat them all if you want, it'll be your funeral." She smiled wickedly at him. "Good luck running after her when she's full to the brim with E numbers."

Kieran's face fell. He hadn't thought about it that way.

"Don't worry about it." Gina reassured her. "She's in good hands. Just you go have fun."

"I know." Sadie smiled lovingly at her new aunt.

"And we will." Naomi added putting her arm around Sadie to usher her through the door.

"Bye." She called back as she was shoved onto the street. "Here where's your costume?" She suddenly realised the blonde wasn't wearing one.

"Don't worry! It's in my bag." Naomi rolled her eyes, the Irish pair had been so adamant that everyone make a big effort to dress up.

"Good." Sadie smiled at the blonde. She was starting to get excited about the party now. She laced her fingers through Effy's as they walked up the road softly humming to herself. Effy laughed when she heard that she was humming the song from the nightmare before Christmas.

"This is Halloween." She grinned at her girlfriend, Sadie's excitement mirrored in her crystal blue eyes.


	2. I put a spell on you

"What the actual fuck?" Grainne exclaimed when her cousin entered the kitchen. He was completely orange, covered head to toe in really bad streaky, fake tan.

"It's for my costume." He scowled as the two sisters laughed at him.

"Really?" Nainsi said sarcastically. "And here I thought you'd just wanted to look nice for the party. I take it Katie made you do this?"

He didn't answer, just glared at them and took a beer from the fridge. He had promised himself he wouldn't drink before the party started but it was the only way he could deal with the terrible twins making fun of them.

"Speaking of costumes...shouldn't you be getting ready?" He said pointedly.

"Probably." They said, still giggling slightly.

"Well go on then. I need to finish decorating the living room." He really just wanted them to leave him alone for a while.

"Oh yeah, let's have a look." Grainne said as they passed the living room door.

"No." Diarmuid stepped in front of the door, blocking their way. "I'm sorry but I can't let you in there. Sadie wants it to be a surprise."

"I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously. You're orange!" Nainsi shook her head and continued up the stairs behind her sister.

-

"Oh dear Lord." Sadie laughed when they arrived back at her flat and she saw her brother. "What the hell happened to you?"

Her brother scowled as Sadie, Effy, Naomi and Emily giggled hysterically at him. He was a brighter orange colour than Katie and with his ginger hair he looked twenty times more ludicrous. Katie glared at the girls and moved to stand by her boyfriend's side. This only elicited more laughter because they looked doubly ridiculous standing next to each other.

"It for our costume, right!" Katie huffed.

"What are you dressing up as? Oompa Loompas?" Naomi asked, still laughing.

"No!" Katie seemed offended by her assumption. "We're Katie Price and Alex Reed! Or at least we will be once we put the rest of our costumes on."

Another wave of laughter swept over the group. Katie scowled furiously at them.

"Sorry. Sorry." Sadie held her hands up in surrender. "That's actually quite an original costume."

Katie straightened up and smiled proudly

"It's just...my brother is orange." Sadie gestured towards him fighting hard to stifle her laughter once more. A smirk threatened to form on Katie's lips when she realised just how ridiculous he actually looked but she held it back. After all she had been the one to convince him to do this.

"I finished putting the decorations up." He informed his sister trying desperately to change the conversation. "Aiden's pumpkin was really cute."

"That's _my_ pumpkin." Naomi pouted defensively.

"Oh." Dermy bit his lip. He felt like a tit for putting his foot in it. "It's lovely."

"Thanks." She said with half hearted sarcasm.

"Was Aiden alright when you dropped her off?" He asked hoping Sadie would rescue him from this awkward situation.

"Alright?" Sadie scoffed. "She practically asked me to leave."

"Sounds about right." He laughed. Sadie rolled her eyes. Her daughter really was a law onto herself.

"Well we need to get changed before people start arriving." Sadie said pulling Effy towards the stairs.

"Yeah, changed." Naomi muttered under her breath with a smirk, earning herself a slap from Emily.

"Some of us can keep it in our knickers for more than five minutes, you know Naomi." Sadie teased the blonde whose mouth fell open in indignation. Katie actually laughed out loud at Sadie's comment considering how she had found Naomi and Emily this afternoon. Naomi was about to argue but she just shrugged figuring if she even tried Katie would embarrass her.

"Keep them out of the living room until I come back down!" Sadie yelled as she ascended the stairs.

-

"Stop having sex and answer the door." Grainne's voice came thought the door. Sadie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Why does everyone just assume we're having sex anytime we're alone in a room together for more than two seconds?"

"I don't know." Effy grinned and pulled her dress back on over her head. Sadie grinned too and moved to open the door.

"Hello." She smiled at her cousin who pushed passed her and walked into the middle of the room.

"Do you have like really blue eye shadow?" She asked waving hi to Effy.

"I think so." Sadie frowned thoughtfully and looked through one of her drawers.

"And have you seen Dermy by the way?" She gasped. Sadie and Effy chuckled.

"Yeah."

"He must really fucking love this Katie girl." She shook her head because there was no other reason why her cousin would agree to paint himself orange.

"I think he does." Sadie remarked handing Grainne a pot of eye shadow. "That ok?"

"Yeah it'll do thanks." She smiled and turned on her heels. "Hurry up and get down stairs. Dermy won't let us into the living room until you're there."

"I just have to get changed." Sadie informed her. She had finished her make up in seconds and was busy doing Effy's when they had gotten side tracked and then interrupted. She finished the brunette's costume make up quickly and rushed to get dressed. Effy was wearing a fitted white dress, torn in places and stained in others. Dermy had helped her draw the outlines of bones on the sleeves and body of the dress. Now with large dark circles under her eyes she was complete as a corpse bride.

"Where are you going?" Effy asked, confused when the red head went to leave.

"To the bathroom to change."

"Why?" Now she was even more confused.

"Because I want the costume to have its full effect when you see it." She grinned devilishly licking her lips. "And I need Derm to help me into it." She added with a laugh then disappeared leaving Effy very curious about this full effect. When Sadie returned she knew immediately what she meant. She stood in the doorway in a black and red lace corset and a tattered frilly skirt. Her jaw dropped and a wave of desire flooded her body.

"Why would you do this to me?" She asked with a pout.

"Do what?" Sadie replied innocently.

"You know what." She glared at her girlfriend. "We have to go down stairs and spend all night in a room full of people and now I've seen your costume that's the last thing I want to do. Fucking tease!"

"Don't be silly dear." Sadie said slyly as she moved closer and gave her a long, lingering kiss on Effy's lips. "I'm only a tease if I don't follow through." She grinned pulled the brunette by the hand out the door.

The five girls were waiting in the kitchen, sitting around the table with a can of beer each. Katie had changed into a pair of hot pants and a very tight, revealing tank top. She had stuff her bra within an inch of its life and completely over done her makeup. She looked the part as Jordan. Emily was wearing a black and red body con dress and a red cape. Beside her Naomi was wearing grey track suit bottoms and a grey jumper with a wolf mask perched on her head. Little red riding hood and the big bad wolf. Sadie chuckled. Her cousins had stuck to their belief that putting the word sexy in front of an occupation and wearing a short skirt constituted a Halloween costume. Grainne was a sexy air hostess in a tight blue uniform and Nainsi was a sexy police woman.

"About time!" Nainsi sighed. "Now can we go into the living room?"

"Yes." Sadie rolled her eyes. "Where's Dermy?"

"He's refusing to come down until everyone is ready." Katie explained.

"Why?" Emily looked confused.

"What else could you possibly have done to him?" Naomi chuckled. He was already orange after all.

"Nothing." Katie said defensively.

"I'll get him." Sadie shouted up to him. She was practising holding in her laughter already. She had to bite her lips to the point where they were practically bleeding just stop from laughing in her brother's face when he came downstairs in nothing but fake tan and a pair of shorts.

"You look nice." Sadie smiled, her voice sounding strained. He just glared at her. Though she couldn't tell Sadie was pretty sure that he was blushed scarlet under all that tan. "Shall we go inside then?"

"Please. I think I need a drink." He said through gritted teeth. If Katie wasn't Katie he would not be going through this. There was just something about the younger girl that he couldn't say no to; he'd give her the world if she asked just to see that smile of hers.

Sadie nodded and opened the living room door, standing aside while everyone rushed in. They were all shocked at the transformation and the amount of decorating the pair had gone to the trouble of doing just for Halloween. The living room was unrecognisable.

"This is fucking awesome!" Naomi muttered, looking around her.

"Seriously!" Emily echoed her girlfriend's sentiments.

"Did you do all this?" Katie asked her boyfriend referring to big paintings of scenes from horror films and portraits of monsters. He nodded proudly.

"You're so amazingly talented." She beamed with pride as she walked up to him and gave him a kiss, making love sick eyes at him the whole time. Grainne and Nainsi made gagging noises.

"Let's start this fucking party already!" Sadie said as she turned the music on and poured a round of shots for the group.

-

"Jesus fuckin Christ man, is there no end to your talents?" Cook, who was dressed up as Rocky, giggled when he and the rest of the boys arrived. He was in awe of the incredible decorations.

"Cook." Diarmuid grinned somewhat drunkenly at the boy. "And JJ! Look at JJ." He said excitedly as he pulled the younger boy who was wearing an Indiana Jones costume in a head lock and ruffled his hair. He merely nodded in Freddie's direction. He was a pilot.

"I don't wish to be rude mate but...why are you wearing tan?" Cook asked with a puzzled expression on his face. Diarmuid sighed and shook his head.

"Katie made me do it."

"Say no more...you're not the first man to make a fool of himself to win the affections of a woman." Cook gave him an understanding nod and dropped the subject. Diarmuid had a new appreciation for him after all the teasing he had received. It wasn't easy always being surrounded by girls.

Freddie and JJ mingled into the party. It wasn't overly big, just the usual suspects and the Irish cousins really but it was enough to fill the room. It was oddly reminiscent of that fateful party Sadie had thrown her first night in Bristol. It was funny to think about how much had changed since that night. She smiled as she thought about it and looked at Effy, her corpse bride.

"What are you smiling at?" The brunette smiled back.

"I was just thinking that this is so much better than the first party I threw in Bristol." Sadie shrugged.

"Why's that? Because we're all dressed up?"

"No because at this party I can do this anytime I want to." She pulled Effy in by the waist and gave her a soft gentle kiss. "At the last party I only fantasised about doing it." She grinned.

"Your right." Effy kissed her again. "This is better."

"For fucksake get a room." Grainne teased as she walked passed.

"I have one and would gladly use it if I didn't think we'd get interrupted every 2 minutes." Sadie shouted back.

"Hey Irish!" Cook's voice shouted over the loud music. Sadie smiled and turned around to greet him with a hug.

"Cookie." She smiled as he picked her up and squeezed her just like Diarmuid did.

"I have to say you are looking smashing." He winked at her with his boyish charm. "Don't know what the fuck you're dressed up as but I do like it."

Effy felt a flash of angry course through her veins. She knew Cook was harmless but she had this irrational problem with controlling her emotions when it came to the red head. She took a deep breath and shook it off.

"I'm _Sin_derella." Sadie smiled smugly.

"Oh I get it!" Cook grinned. "Very clever. You got yourself a smart one there Eff." He winked at the brunette and dissolved some of her anger. At least he was acknowledging the fact that Sadie was hers.

"I know." She smiled and stole a look at Sadie.

"Now would you two ladies care to join me in a round of shots?" He asked using a very posh voice. The girls giggled because it was so out of character.

"Go on then." Effy shook her head and they went along with him.

"You know I have to admit." A mildly intoxicated Diarmuid slurred. "I'm actually enjoying being at a party in my work out shorts. I mean they're just so comfy." He rambled on at Katie who thought he was incredibly cute when he was blind drunk.

"See, wasn't such a bad idea after all, was it babes?" Katie chuckled.

"No it wasn't." He shook his head. He was grinning like a school boy and staring at Katie like the sun was shining out of her. "I don't think you have any bad ideas. You're so...nice!"

"And you're so drunk." She giggled.

"I'm not...I'm not...I'm not drunk." He argued. "Maybe a wee bit. But that's ok. And you're still nice."

"Thanks babes." She kissed him and shut him up.

"You know..." Emily watched her sister and her boyfriend from across the room. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to seeing that."

"What? I think they're cute." Naomi defended her cousin-in-law and adopted big brother.

"Exactly they're nauseatingly cute." Emily agreed. Naomi felt confused. "I'm just not used to seeing Katie with guys who are actually interested in her for her personality. It's a good thing." She assured her girlfriend.

"Yeah it is strange." Naomi conceded. Across the room Effy caught her eye and smiled. "Do you realise that if we all married the person we're with now, we'd all be sort of related." She mused.

"I hadn't thought about that." Emily pursed her lips and mentally tried to draw the connections. "Weird." She giggled.

"And kind of cool." Naomi added. Emily flashed a grin.

"Was that a proposal then?" She winked at the blonde who flushed pink and pulled her mask down over her face, shaking her head.

"Trust me, when I actually propose you'll know." She joked.

"Promise?" Emily smiled shyly and lifted the wolf mask from her girlfriend's face to kiss her.

"Promise." The blonde whispered so quietly Emily wasn't even sure she had heard her.

-

It was somewhere around the early hours of the morning and the party was only kicking off. Everyone was wasted, well apart from JJ. Everyone was in good spirits and having fun, dancing and messing around; just generally having a good time. Sadie and Effy were sharing a couch with Naomi and Emily listening to Naomi recount the tale of the first time Sadie and Effy met. They thought she was exaggerating it just a little bit.

"They were inseparable all night, always touching each other and flirting non-stop. I swear..." Naomi drunkenly ranted. Her view on the cuteness between the two girls was slightly skewed by the fact that, at the time, she was missing Emily and they were making her jealous.

"Oh. Shit!" Sadie fumed through gritted teeth.

"What?" The three girls asked in unison.

"Fucking...Fuck!" Sadie exclaimed and pointed across the room to where Grainne and Freddie were what could only be described as sucking face. There was nothing nice about the scene that would permit it to be called kissing. Sadie shook her head and hurried to find her brother before he could do anything stupid. The other three followed close behind.

"Oh fuck no!" He bellowed when he saw his cousin with the skater boy. His back went up and his hands curled into fists. He was breathing in shallow pants as the anger rose in him.

"Easy boy!" Sadie held her hands up and grabbed his large biceps. Something everyone else considered a rather brave thing to do. It was like standing in the way of a lion when it was about to pounce.

"What the fuck is she playing at?" He demanded. "Oh I'm going to enjoy this. I owe him a dig for being a cock to Effy at the wedding."

"No you're not." Sadie said firmly. "For two reasons: one we just found this nice house and I like living here and I really don't think it's sturdy enough to handle one of your rage rampages. And two it's Grainne. You going over there and hitting Freddie and telling him to keep away from her is only going to make her want him more."

Diarmuid's head jerked to the side slightly. He was listening and he knew Sadie's words made sense but he still really wants to smack the wee fella. Sadie looked to Katie pleadingly.

"Katie get him out of here, please."

"Come on babes." She carefully placed her hand on his arm. His whole face softened when he looked at her. "Let's go outside or something, yeah?" She began to lead him towards the door.

Sadie sighed heavily and Effy instinctively wrapped her arms around her. Sadie curled into her arms, resting her head on Effy's shoulder.

"Silly little bitch. I'm going to have to go talk to her." The Irish girl shook her head. "Naoms, don't suppose you could do me a favour?"

"Sure, what?" The blonde didn't even have to consider it.

"Find Cook. Tell him...Tell him Derm's pissed and that he might want to warn Freddie." Sadie shrugged and Naomi nodded. She and Emily went off to find Cook. Effy followed Sadie when she headed towards the sofa where Freddie and Grainne were making out. Sadie crossed her arms and cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Hi." She forced a very false looking smile when Grainne shot daggers at her for interrupting. "Can I see you for just a minute?" She gripped the red head's arm and pulled her aside.

"What?" Grainne pouted.

"What are you doing?" Sadie asked, sounding completely calm.

"Kissing the pretty boy." She answered childishly.

"Have you completely lost your mind or did you just conveniently forget that Diarmuid wants to kill him?" She hissed. Grainne of all people should know how protective her brother is.

"But he's so pretty." Grainne argued, dreamily gazing over Sadie's shoulder at him. Effy giggled quietly and rolled her eyes.

"How pretty do you think he'll be when Derm kicks seven shades of shit out of him?" Sadie pointed out.

"He can't tell me who I can and can't kiss." Grainne shouted. She really was wasted, Sadie realised trying to reason with her would be futile. She growled in frustration.

"Fine. Do what you want." Sadie reasoned. "Just, for the love of God, don't do it here." She shook her head and walked away.

"You alright?" Effy asked grabbing her arm and turning her around.

"Yeah just...kind of killed my buzz." She forced a smile for Effy's benefit.

"Well I know there's something we can do about that." The brunette grinned. Sadie grinned back and kissed Effy. They passed Cook on the way to the kitchen.

"Hey Irish, Naomi told me what was goin on. Don't worry about it...I'll have a word." He said nodding towards Freddie.

"Thanks Cookie." She smiled and followed Effy into the kitchen. Another drink was the last thing on her mind as she watched the younger girl walk.

"Freds!" Cook barked at his friend. "A word."

The dark haired boy growled in frustration. "What?"

"What are you playing at mate?" Cook asked, with a friendly arm on Freddie's arm.

"You told me to stop moping and find someone, yeah?" Freddie got in Cook's face. "I'm doing that!"

"You're trying to tick Dermot off. You already pissed him off at the wedding with that Effy comment. And now you come in here to his house and get off with his cousin?" Cook stuck out his bottom lip and shook his head slowly. "Gotta tell you mate if he swings for you I won't get in the way. Simple as."

"What?" Freddie scoffed. "You're picking him over me?"

"I'm not picking sides. I'm sitting out." Cook shook his head. "I'm all for you copping off with the Irish bird. She's proper fit but just...not here. Take her to your house or something." He suggested and walked away. Freddie was one of his best friends but he could totally see Diarmuid's point too.

-

Grainne and Freddie slipped out the door while Katie still had him distracted. She briefly thought about the fleeting relationship she had shared with Freddie and shuddered. She looked at Diarmuid and thought her taste had definitely improved. Even if he was lying curled up in a drunken ball at the minute. She crossed the room and curled up beside him, lifting his arm and putting it around her. She looked around the room at her friends and smiled. Things really had changed. She was happy now and it made everything around her seem better. She even thought Naomi and Emily looked sweet sleeping in each other's arms in the armchair across from her.

"Katiekins!" Sadie and Effy came charging into the living room, hands linked carrying cans of beer. She giggled at them.

"You're not fading too are you?" Sadie asked sadly.

"Yeah, we already lost Naomi and Emily and Dermy." Effy pouted, glaring at her sleeping friends.

"No I'm not fading...I was just..." She didn't really want to admit what she was doing ended with. "Getting up."

Effy cheered and helped pull the brunette twin to her feet.

"I'm only coming in on one condition." She held her finger up. "You two give the dry humping a rest for a while. I so don't want to be a third wheel!"

Sadie and Effy shared a somewhat guilty look and laughed.

"You won't be a third wheel Katie." Sadie assured her, throwing her arm around the twin.

"Yeah." Effy agreed. "You can join in if you like."

That comment earned her a slap on the arm that stung like crazy. "Or not, whatever." Effy giggled more.

Sadie, Effy, Katie, Cook, Thomas and Nainsi remained in the kitchen together drinking until the early hours of the morning. Eventually though Sadie decided they would have to go to bed because she would have to pick her daughter up the next day and would have to be sober to do that. Katie refused their offer to let her come to bed with them and opted to cuddle into Diarmuid on the couch again. Sadie smiled at the pair as she threw a blanket round them; they looked so cute, even if they were orange.


	3. Trip to the park

The next morning Sadie was awaken by the pleasant sensation of someone randomly planting kisses on her face. Her eyes fluttered open to see Effy leaning over her with a huge grin on her face.

"Good morning." The brunette said cheerfully.

"So far yes." Sadie smiled back, straining her neck up to kiss her girlfriend. "How come you're up so early anyway?"

"I don't know." The brunette shrugged and lay back down. "I just woke up and your face looked so cute I had to kiss it."

"I see." Sadie chuckled. "You're still drunk."

Effy pulled her lips taught over her teeth. "Possibly."

"What time is it anyway?" Sadie stretched and yawned.

"Half 11." Effy informed her looking at her phone. She also had one new message, from Pandora. "What time do you have to pick Aiden up at?"

"Gina didn't say...but probably soon." Sadie mused.

"Pandora says she had a great night and she loves your parties more than doughnuts." Effy giggled. Sadie blinked in confusion.

"Doughnuts." She shook her head and laughed. "Pandora."

Effy rolled her eyes in response. The blonde was entirely unique but she loved her for it. Sadie sat upright in the bed, wincing when her bare back touched the head board. The skin was tender, it felt like scratch marks. Sadie looked over her shoulder and sighed, three very distinct red lines ran the length of her back.

"Fucksake Eff." She giggled.

"What?" The younger girl was confused. Sadie turned to show her war wounds. "Shit sorry."

"It's ok...just throw me that t-shirt there." The red head chuckled, pulling on some shorts.

"In fairness you have only yourself to blame. You wore that costume; you should have known what it would do to me." Effy smirked and threw the t-shirt at her. Sadie grinned proudly; that had been her exact intention with the costume.

"I wasn't complaining." She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and gave her a long, hard kiss. "Besides..." She added jumping off the bed and opening the door.

"It's not like you got off injury free." She grinned guiltily and disappeared through the door.

"What?" Effy looked confused, racing to the mirror she noticed a very distinct bruise on her shoulder, a perfect imprint of Sadie's teeth. She frowned then chuckled. "Bitch."

Sadie cautiously made her way to the kitchen trying not to wake any of the sleeping occupants of the living room. She pushed the door to the kitchen open and was shocked to see Cook slumped over in the same chair he had been in last night. He stirred at the noise she made and awoke with a start.

"Good morning James." She nodded curtly at him and took a seat beside him at the table.

"Irish." He replied through a yawn.

"You been sleeping here all night?" Sadie wrinkled her nose; it couldn't have been comfortable. He shrugged and smiled at her.

"I've slept in worse places."

"I don't doubt that." Sadie shook her head and laughed.

"Morning Cook." Effy appeared in the kitchen. She opened the fridge and helped herself to some juice. She also filled a glass for Sadie and sat down.

"Alright Eff." His eyes twinkled as he looked between the two girls. "I won't ask if you two slept well."

"We slept just fine." Sadie said pointedly and rolled her eyes at him. Pervy boys will be pervy boys.

"Well you was probably knackered after all that..." He grinned until Sadie cut across him.

"So did my cousin leave here with Freddie last night or what happened?" She asked strategically changing the subject.

"I think so." Cook shrugged.

"Yeah I saw them leave together about 11." Effy nodded pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her head on her knees.

"Derm is not going to be happy." Sadie sucked air in through her teeth.

"He really doesn't like Freddie does he?" Cook chuckled.

"No." Sadie shook his head. "And Freddie's hardly trying to win him round."

"No I told him that." Cook agreed. "Said if Derm takes a swing for him I will not be there to stop it. Fair fucks to your brother if he does. I'm surprised he didn't smack him at the wedding. It was out of order what he said to you Eff."

"Thanks Cook." The brunette smiled. Cook had just as much right as Freddie, if not more to hate her. But he didn't hold that against her. In fact he'd been quite supportive of her and Sadie, in his own perverse little way.

"Great so now all we have to do is sneak Grainne back into the house without Diarmuid noticing because it'll be world war 3 if he says anything to her." Sadie shook her head. Why did things have to be so complicated?

"What about the park?" Effy asked sadly. They were supposed to bring Aiden to the park but that didn't seem likely if Sadie was going to be running interference all day.

"Oh yeah, we promised Aiden." Sadie frowned. She didn't want to break a promise to her daughter. "We'll make Diarmuid come." She smiled when the idea dawned on her.

"What?" Effy looked confused.

"We'll make him come to the park with us then Grainne can come back while he's out of the house."

"You're a fucking genius Sadie." Cook grinned.

"You really think he's going to go to the park." Effy challenged. "With his hangovers?"

"Shit. Hadn't thought of that." Sadie pouted.

"Don't worry about it." Cook reassured her. "I'll get him to go."

"How?" Effy scoffed.

"I'll get Katie to convince him." He smirked proudly. Sadie and Effy giggled. "Just you two run along and pick up that little kiddie of yours and we'll meet you in the park."

"Thanks Cook." Sadie smiled at him. He was more like her brother than she had first thought. She held her hand out to Effy. "Guess we better get dressed then."

On their way through the living room Sadie took the time to stop and wake Naomi and Emily.

"What?" The blonde woke with a start. Sadie shushed her.

"We're going to pick Aiden up. I was wondering if you want to come with us. Get changed. We're going to the park later." She whispered. It took a while for her words to sink in.

"Oh...yeah...ok..." She replied sleepily before cuddling back into Emily. Sadie rolled her eyes and went to get dressed.

-

When they arrived at Naomi's house she headed straight up the stairs to shower and change. She grunted a greeting to her step-father on the way.

"I take it the party went well." Kieran joked motioning to Naomi's hungover form trudging up the stairs.

"Very well." Sadie smiled proudly. "How was Aiden?"

"Grand." He shrugged. "Gina's just giving her some lunch."

"Lunch?" The Irish girl's ears pricked up and she smiled walking towards the kitchen.

"Hello." She greeted the blonde woman cheerfully. "How's my favourite step-aunt?"

"I'm fine." Gina chuckled. "Good party?"

"Great!" Effy answered since her girlfriend was distracted hugging and kissing her daughter.

"I hear there's lunch." Sadie said looking around the kitchen to see what was being served.

"Yes, yes there's sausage rolls in the oven." Gina rolled her eyes; these Irish people and their insatiable appetites.

"That's why you're my favourite...don't tell Claire." Sadie winked and sat down at the table hoisting Aiden into the seat next to her. Effy sat down facing them trying not to look at the plate of sausage rolls Gina sat down in front of her. She felt a wriggling movement at her leg and looked down to find Aiden had crawled off her seat and ran around to give her a hug.

"Hi Aiden." She smiled and picked the little girl up onto her lap.

"Aiden." Sadie said softly, smiling over her forkful of food. "Have you been a good girl?"

"Yes." She nodded with great certainty.

"Really?" Sadie asked Gina this time. "Because if you've been a good girl you might get a treat."

"She was brilliant." Gina assured her. "Ran Kieran around a bit, all the sugar...we might have let her stay up a little past her bedtime...but she slept all night. Good as gold."

"Hmm..." Sadie said thoughtfully.

"I get treat?" Aiden asked hopefully.

"Yes ok, I think you can get a treat." She smiled at her daughter. "Effy do you want to tell her what it is? It was your idea after all."

"Really?" Effy smiled. She loved being the one to give good news, especially when the child got so excited. "Aiden...would you like to go to the park?"

"Park!" She squealed. Effy probably could have done without that much excitement as the noise went straight through her skull.

"Shall we bring Naomi and Emily too?" The brunette asked.

"Yes."

"What about Uncle Dermy and Katie?"

"Yes."

"And maybe if you're a very good girl we'll get some ice cream?" Effy suggested, looking to Sadie for approval of her idea. Aiden's eyes widened with joy at the thought. She scrambled off Effy's knee and held her hand out to the older girl.

"Mon." She said eager to leave.

"We're not going yet. Mummy isn't finished her lunch." She grinned, pulling Effy's untouched plate towards herself. "And we have to wait on Naomi and Emily. Why don't you go call them?"

"Ok." There was a blur of curly red hair as she raced towards the stairs screeching at the top of her lungs.

-

It was a typical late autumn's day, cloudy and a little chilly but at least it wasn't raining. The park wasn't too far away and the fresh air even seemed to perk Naomi up a little. She even managed to crack a few sarcastic remarks about Sadie pushing a buggy on the way. Those sort of blew up in her face when Emily offered to push Aiden for a bit.

"I think she suits it." Sadie smirked at Naomi who looked mildly terrified. Emily was already a tad broody she really didn't need any encouragement. They sat down on a bench and Sadie helped Aiden out of the buggy. The tot raced off towards the playground.

"You go on." Naomi groaned sitting down on the bench. "We'll catch up."

Emily giggled and sat down beside her throwing her arm around her poor, suffering girlfriend. Sadie followed Aiden to the park.

"How does she do it?" Naomi shook her head looking in the direction of Sadie who was laughing and messing around with Effy and Aiden. A fete that seemed almost impossible to her after so much drinking last night.

"I suppose she has no other choice." Emily shrugged and smiled as she watched them play. "I mean it's not like she can say I'm too hungover to be a mum today."

"Not really." Naomi chuckled. "Effy's pretty good with her too."

"I know. I was surprised too. It is a bit strange, but she seems happy." Emily shrugged.

"They really do." The blonde agreed.

"You really think Dermy will come?" Effy asked Sadie as they pushed Aiden on the swings. She was standing in front of the swing and Sadie behind.

"I don't know. He fake tanned for Katie I can't see him saying no to a trip to the park with his niece." The red head shrugged.

"Probably." She giggled.

"Want a go on slide!" Aiden informed them. Sadie stood back and watched Effy help her daughter up the steps to the slide. She had such a genuine smile on her face; it made Sadie fall a little deeper in love with her.

"Hello." Sadie heard her brother's voice in her left ear. She turned to see him leaning on the railing beside her. "Just one question for you?"

She looked at him encouraging him to continue.

"Why do you do these things to me?" He whimpered.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently. "I just mentioned that I was taking my dear daughter to the park and suggested you and your lovely girlfriend might want to join us."

"Yeah, thanks for that." He said sarcastically. "Well we're here now...I'll be dying on that bench over there if you need me."

"What? You aren't going to play with your niece?" Sadie mocked offence. He rolled his eyes and walked away. A devilish smirk crossed Sadie's face and she called to her daughter.

"Aiden...do you want to go see Uncle Dermy?" She goaded the child who was all too keen to torture her uncle.

It seemed the trip to the park had tuned into a bit of a group outing, when Sadie and Effy returned to where they had left Naomi and Emily they found that not only had Katie and Diarmuid joined them, but also Cook and JJ.

"Alright princess." Cook grinned at Aiden.

"Cookie!" She smiled, always pleased to see him. "Play?"

"Alright then." He shook his head, getting to his feet and chasing the child on the grass behind the bench. "Come on JJ." He called to his friend who was very eager to join in the game.

"I can't believe Cook is so good with her." Katie frowned and shook her head. "I mean he's Cook!"

"Perhaps it's because mentally they are about the same age." Emily suggested with a chuckle. There was no denying that Cook was great with Aiden. He always seemed to have time to play with her for a bit when he visited.

"Princess..." He called her by his nickname for her. "Princess come get JJ's tickles." He shouted to her as he pinned the curly haired boy to the ground. Everyone else watched on in fits of laughter. This was too good for Diarmuid to miss out on, he managed to pull himself together and run over to join in on the tickling fun leaving the girls to lie on the grass and talk amongst themselves.

"Where does she get all the energy from?" Naomi thought out loud.

"I have a theory that she sucks it out of other people." Sadie chuckled. "Just drains it from them and uses it to run around in circles and jump up and down."

"Or maybe it's because she's too young to have destroyed her body with toxins and crap." Emily suggested with a nod towards the fag hanging from her girlfriend's mouth.

"What?" Naomi shrugged defensively, taking a long draw from the butt and exhaling the smoke slowly.

"Do you ever want to have kids Katiekins?" Sadie found herself curious.

"I don't know." The brunette twin shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"I do." Emily said quite certainly. Effy shot Naomi a look and smirked.

"But not for a few years yet sweetie, right?" The blonde tacked on at the end.

"Well yeah but only because it's not quite so easy for us lesbians to get pregnant." She pointed out.

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?" Her sister asked. "I mean, no offence Sadie, but I don't know if I could handle it. Having a kid, a living little person depend on you. I don't think I'll be ready for that for ages."

"None taken." Sadie smiled to reassure Katie. "It is fucking scary when it happens."

"She is cute though." Katie smiled watching her boyfriend and his niece. Everyone agreed on that one.

"She has my good genes you see." Sadie poked her tongue out.

"You keep saying that but I just don't see it." Effy grinned at her girlfriend's displeased face. There was no denying the fact that Aiden was mini Sadie.

"Shut your face." The red head glared for a second before swooping in and kissing Effy gently.

A middle aged woman, with mousy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, was passing by and seemed to feel the need to stop and loudly expressed her disapproval. Sadie pulled away from Effy to glare at the woman defiantly.

"What?" She asked getting to her feet; it sounded like a dare.

"I just think it's a disgrace that you are behaving like that in public and with a child playing nearby and everything." She shook her head and gave them a look of disgust. Emily, Katie and Naomi sat gobsmacked on the ground.

"Behaving like what exactly?" Sadie seethed. You could literally see the anger rising in her body. "Like every other couple on the planet? I do hope you stop to protest heterosexual couples kissing and holding hands in public."

"Well no that's different isn't it?" She said smugly.

"Not really." Sadie said flatly.

"I just think it's inappropriate behaviour in front of children." She lifted her chin haughtily to look down her nose at them. Even Katie was getting ready to give this bitch a slap.

"Well not everyone believes in bringing children up to be ignorant and homophobic." Sadie began. "And what's it got to do with you anyway. That's not your child playing behind me. Do you even have any children? Probably not. Otherwise you'd have something else to occupy your time instead of forming prejudices and attacking people in public parks on a Thursday afternoon."

"Mummy?" Aiden called anxiously, sensing something going on. Diarmuid and Cook were standing looking angry too. Sadie bent down and picked her daughter up to reassure her.

"That's your child?" The woman was shell shocked.

"Is that your fucking business?" Cook demanded.

"Who the fuck are you?" Diarmuid said at the same time.

"It's alright." Sadie soothed both of them.

"Yes she is my child. Not that it's any of your business. And I can assure you she won't be brought up to be a pig headed idiot like you." She smiled sweetly. "So you didn't have to worry about jumping into protect her innocent eyes because she's perfectly well adjusted and knows very well that mummy kisses girls and it's ok to be gay."

"Well that's just..." She was at a loss for words.

"I think you should fuck off now." Effy got to her feet and stood beside Sadie.

"Yes." Naomi added with a stone cold glare. "Please piss off."

The woman got quite flustered and stormed away. Sadie's heart was racing from the adrenaline of the confrontation as she shakily sat back down finding Effy's arms wrap themselves around her.

"Fucking bitch!" Katie spat disgustedly in the woman's direction.

"I know inferring old cunt!" Naomi added.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked softly.

"I'm fine." Sadie smiled. "We have a word for people like that who think mummy a bad person cause she's a lesbian don't we Aiden?"

"Asshole." The tiny girl grinned because she said a bad word and everyone started to laugh.

"Seriously I dealt with it enough at home. I'm fine." She assured them.

"I just wish it had been a man who said something." Cook huffed. "Then I could have done something about it." He punched the air, making Aiden laugh. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Come on. I think someone promised Aiden some ice cream before we go home." She nudged her girlfriend and stood up again.

"Ice cream Effy!" Aiden held her hands out to the brunette to be picked up.

"I did promise ice cream didn't I?" She looked at the child thoughtfully. "Let's go."

-

It was evening before they arrived back to the flat since they'd stopped for ice cream and then chips, which they ate in Naomi's. Aiden was exhausted, half sleeping on Sadie's shoulder, and she wasn't the only one who was tired. After Sadie had put Aiden to bed she, Effy, Diarmuid and Katie had watched TV together curled up on the couches.

"Shit I have to go." Katie sighed when she realised the time.

"Do you have to?" Diarmuid pouted. Sadie thought he looked ridiculous.

"Yes." She said firmly. He got up and walked her to the door.

"Thanks for a really great day." Katie paused in the doorway and smiled at him.

"You really can't stay?" He asked not even trying to disguise the disappointment in his voice.

"No." She frowned. "For some stupid reason they're making us go back into college tomorrow. On a Friday for fucksake! I really don't know why!"

"That's alright." He smiled to reassure her. "You can stay tomorrow night."

"Fucking right I will." She grinned and kissed him lustfully causing him to blush because his sister was standing very close by.

"Goodnight." He said when they broke apart.

"Night babes." She smiled brightly at him before leaving. He hesitated in the doorway for a while after she was gone.

"Don't even bother coming back in here if you're going to moon over her." Sadie shouted a warning from the living room.

"I don't _moon_." He huffed at his sister who just gave him a look that shut him up and made him head to his bedroom.

"Goodnight Effy!" He called to the brunette as he ascended the stairs.

"Night." She responded. Sadie was looking at her curiously.

"Don't you have to leave too?" She asked. "I mean unless you've transferred schools recently and haven't told me I'm pretty sure you have college in the morning too."

"Yeah." Effy giggled. "But I don't have parents like Rob and Jenna hounding me to come home on school nights."

"That's true."

"Besides a few items of my clothing seem to have taken up residency in your house anyway and I have a toothbrush in the bathroom and Aiden is the best alarm clock in Bristol so I see no reason why I can't stay." She pouted, giving Sadie her best puppy dog eyes.

"Neither do I." The older girl smiled, she never really wanted her to leave in the first place. "But you have to go to college in the morning." She said firmly.

"I will." Effy rolled her eyes. In the few months she'd been with Sadie her attendance at collage had already surpassed the number of days she'd showed up last year. This was another reason Anthea was a big fan of Sadie's; she was a very positive influence on Effy.

"Great, now that's settled, let's go to bed." Sadie said with that glint in her eye that betrayed her intentions. After one long, lingering kiss on the red head's lips Effy got up and headed to Sadie's bedroom.

Later that night they lay in each other's arms teetering on the brink of sleep. Sadie was deep in thought, lazily stroking Effy's arm and shoulder.

"Eff." She checked to see if her girlfriend was awake.

"Yeah?"

"You know earlier, in the park when everyone was talking about having kids?" She began, nervously chewing her lower lip.

"Yeah..."

"You were very quiet." Sadie pointed out a fact that she had been dwelling over most of the night.

"Was I?" The brunette shrugged dismissively. It hadn't been intentional.

"Yeah." Sadie nodded. "Do you want kids?"

Effy sat up to look at her. She looked so timid and vulnerable she was almost unrecognisable as the girl who had stood up to that woman in the park today. Effy just wanted to hug her.

"I never thought about it. Actually I just never thought I'd have kids. Didn't think I'd ever be in the situation to bring a child into the world. I told you. I fuck lives up. I couldn't do that to a child." She sighed sorrowfully.

"Oh." Sadie said quietly.

"That was before I met Aiden though. She's so adorable and all I want to do is make her like me and keep her happy. I love that little girl." Effy smiled when a grin broke out on her girlfriend's face. "Now I think maybe I could be a mother some day. Maybe I wouldn't mind having a kid or two."

"I love you." Sadie grinned and pulled her down for a tender kiss. The fact that Effy wanted to be with her in the first place had surprised her. When Effy wanted to stay with her even though she had a kid she was shocked. But right now, the way she had accepted Aiden and interacted with her, the way it made Sadie feel about her, it amazed her.

"I love you too." She smiled and settled back down in the bed. Those were words Effy had never been able to say before but now it seemed almost too easy. "Now go to sleep. Some of us have college in the morning."


	4. Propositions

It was a Saturday afternoon and Sadie and Aiden were alone in the house. Aiden had fallen asleep on the couch while watching Sleeping Beauty and Sadie was just doing little pieces of housework. Dermy was fully booked all afternoon and Effy was at home doing coursework and would not be permitted to come round until it was finished. Sadie was in the middle of doing the dishes when the doorbell rang. She wondered who it could be as she threw the towel over her shoulder and went to answer it.

"Naomi." She smiled at the blonde and stepped aside to let her in. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Naomi was almost a part of the furniture in their apartment but it was strange for her to turn up unannounced.

"Just felt like getting out for a bit." She shrugged, throwing her jacket over a chair in the living room and pausing to smile at a sleeping Aiden.

"Fair enough." The Irish girl poked out her bottom lip. "I was just doing the dishes."

Naomi followed her into the kitchen and jumped up onto the bench watching the older girl as she carried out her chore.

"So how are things?" Sadie asked with a smile.

"Things are fine...good." She stared off into space for a second. "What about you?"

"Oh I can't complain." She smirked. "Nobody will listen."

"I'd listen." She replied sincerely.

"I know you would." She chuckled. "I was just giving off about how our Diarmuid always seems to escape doing the dishes."

"Yeah, Kieran has that gift too."

"And I bet Gina let's him away with it too." Sadie rolled her eyes and Naomi nodded. "So what, you just couldn't face being around the happy couple this afternoon?"

"No they're out actually. They're doing...something. I just got a bit fed up in the house by myself." She frowned.

"Well you are always welcome here." Sadie smiled lovingly. "Where's Emily?"

"Out shopping with Katie." Naomi informed her.

"And you didn't fancy going with them?"

"I'd rather eat my own face." The blonde said quite certainly. "Shopping is bad enough without having Katie along for the ride. She makes us go into every shop in town then ends up buying the first thing she seen in the first shop we went into."

Sadie grimaced. "I know someone else who does that...God no wonder her and my bother are so well suited."

"I know."

"How are things with you and Ems anyway?" Sadie asked, putting the last cup away.

"Great." Naomi shrugged. "We're good. Everything is wonderful."

Sadie stood level with the girl and gave her a sceptical look. "Talk to your step-cousin."

"No we're fine. She's great. I love her so much..." She rolled her head back and looked to the ceiling.

"But sometimes you just want to kill her?" Sadie chuckled.

"A little bit, yeah." Naomi laughed. "How did you..."

"Welcome to an adult relationship Naoms." The red head rolled her eyes at the innocence of young love. "It's not always rainbows and walks in the park and stuff. When you love someone you want to spend all your time with them, but when you spend large amounts of time with anyone of course they're going to annoy the tits off you. Love is looking past all that."

"You are so wise." Naomi said sarcastically.

"I'm not wise I'm old." Sadie pointed out. "So what set all this off?"

"We've been getting a lot of stuff in college about university courses and open days. Emily isn't interested; she wants to go travelling..."

"But you are interested?" Sadie tilted her head and looked in the girl's blue eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe?" She shrugged. "But anytime I try and talk to her about it she freaks out, thinking I don't want to see the world with her and that I'm going to break up with her."

"But you're not. Are you?" She had to ask, she had to be sure.

"No...No...God no." She shook her head. "I love her more than anything. I can't imagine my life without her in it. I just think I might want to go to uni one day and would like to be able to talk to my girlfriend about it without her freaking out." She sighed.

Sadie jumped up on the bench beside her and threw her arm around the girl. They definitely shared a sisterly bond.

"You want my advice?" She asked. Naomi nodded. "At least look into courses. You might want to go to uni, you might not but it can't hurt to look. Emily is just scared of losing you that's why she's over reacting. You just need to reassure her that by looking it doesn't mean you're leaving her, it just means you're thinking about your future with her."

Naomi turned to look at Sadie. She felt so close to the girl she had only known for a few months now. But Sadie and Aiden and Dermy were such a huge part of her life now it was hard not to feel like she'd known them for much longer. That was why she knew she had to talk to Sadie about what was going on. She could trust the advice Sadie would give.

"You actually are rather wise, aren't you?" She smiled being sincere this time.

"I hope so." Sadie shrugged. "In about 16 years time I'm going to have a daughter of my own coming to me and asking me for advice on these types of things. Best to get the experience in now, eh?"

"You're a great mum." Naomi smiled.

"Well thank you, I'm glad you think so." Sadie teased. "Speaking of which is everyone battening down the hatches for the return of Anne Marie next week?"

"Oh that's right Aiden's birthday!" Naomi remembered the Irish in laws would be flying in next week for Aiden's 3rd birthday party and to see Sadie and Dermy's new apartment and shop.

"Yeah. The big...3." Sadie chuckled.

"It will be strange." Naomi mused. "Seeing them at a party without alcohol."

"Think that's strange?" Sadie raised an eyebrow. "Cook has agreed to come to a party with no alcohol."

Naomi was taken aback slightly but it made sense really. He would never miss the princess' birthday. She looked at Sadie after a moments silence and smiled.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"Anytime cuz." The red head winked and pulled her in for a hug. They headed towards the living room where Naomi spent the rest of the day with her family. She was grateful to have Sadie in her life because otherwise she knew she would have done something stupid and fucked things up with Emily; a thought she really couldn't bear.

-

For the first time in about four months Katie and Emily were both going to sleep in their own room, at the same time. They had spent the whole day together, they went shopping and had dinner and a bottle of wine together. It was nice to spend some time being sisters again; something they had been neglecting in favour of their partners lately. Now they were both lying in Katie's single bed painting each other's toenails, quite badly considering they'd each had a few glasses of wine, and talking about life.

"What about uni?" Katie asked when Emily filled her in on her and Naomi's planned trip around the world.

"What about it?" Her younger sister shrugged.

"Don't you want to go?" Katie seemed shocked. Emily had always been the more academic twin, not that Katie wasn't smart, she just wasn't interested in learning. Emily was, or at least she had been. "And what about Naomi I thought she was all into further education?"

"Yeah, she is, sort of, I don't know." Emily stammered. They hadn't really discussed that part, well Naomi had tried to but she hadn't wanted to listen to what sounded like Naomi pulling out of their trip. "Besides we can always apply when we come home."

"I suppose." Katie shrugged seemingly happy with that response. "Watch what you're doing you daft cow you're supposed to be painting my toe nails not my toes."

The two girls giggled. They had missed this.

"So how are things with you and Dermy?" Emily asked. She was so pleased that Katie had finally found a boyfriend that she could stand. And he treated her as well as she deserved to be treated. It was so clear he really liked her.

"They're really fantastic." Katie sighed dreamily. He was perfect; like the ideal boyfriend she'd always dreamed of, only maybe slightly shorter.

"Things are good?" The red head smiled.

"Really good." Katie nodded. "And the sex is fantastic."

"Katie!" Emily shrieked kicking her slightly. "I didn't want to know that."

"What?" The older twin asked defensively. "This is the first time I've been with someone where we waited for a while before doing it and let me tell you Ems it's worth it!"

"Ahh!" Emily groaned tried to rid herself of the mental image of her sister and Dermy having sex. "Katie please, unless you want me to have nightmares for the next month."

"Oh alright." She rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, do you like him?"

"I like him a little less now I know he's nailing you." She joked. Katie gave her a stern look. "He's great! You know I think he's the best boyfriend you've ever had. I tell him that all the time."

"That's good." Katie was surprised that Emily's approval meant so much to her. "Do you think it's too soon to...introduce him to mum and dad?"

Emily looked slightly taken aback by her sister asking, ordinarily she didn't give a shit when her parents met her boyfriends but it was clear she wanted this meeting to go well. She must really like Dermy.

"I don't think so. I mean he is a significant improvement on the guys you usually bring back." Emily smiled encouragingly.

"I was going to ask him to come to dinner on Friday...will you be there? Please?" Her sister sounded so vulnerable Emily couldn't have said no if she wanted to.

"Of course." Emily nodded. "Do you want me to invite Naomi too? Might make Dermy feel a little more comfortable."

"Good idea." Katie smiled, relieved that she would have support in case anything went wrong.

"Alright." Emily started thinking of ways to pitch this idea to her girlfriend. Although Jenna could now manage to be civil to the blonde it was still pretty clear the woman blamed her for Emily's homosexuality. Rob had taken a shine to her though so that was a plus. They stayed up late into the night gossiping like they would when they were younger. They told each other all the things they had neglected to mention over the past few months and ended up falling asleep squashed together in Katie's tiny single bed.

-

On Wednesday afternoon Sadie and Aiden got bored sitting in the house. Sadie had cleaned the whole bathroom and she and Aiden had played with blocks while watching Monsters Inc. and Uncle Dermy wouldn't be home for ages. They were officially out of things to do.

"I have an idea." Sadie grinned at her daughter. "Why don't we go meet Effy and Emily?"

"Yeah." The two year old agreed excitedly. Sadie checked the time, they would have plenty of time to find the college before they got out for the day. She had a vague idea of where it was anyway. She pulled on their coats and decided to let Aiden walk since it wasn't too far and she didn't think she could talk her into the buggy.

With perfect timing they approached the gates just in time to hear the bell ring. They waited expectantly for the girls to appear.

"Where Effy?" Aiden asked impatiently.

"She'll be out in a minute." She assured the pouting child. A load of teenagers poured out passed them as they scanned the crowd for the familiar faces. Aiden spotted Effy before Sadie did, and before Sadie could stop her from running off towards the brunette.

"Effy!" She squealed the whole time she ran. A lot of students stopped, intrigued and a little confused over what was happening. Effy caught the strawberry blonde blur and picked her up for a big hug.

"Hello." She seemed as happy to see the child as the child was to see her. "Where's your mum?"

"Over there." Aiden pointed to where Sadie was waving. Effy carried her back to her mother ignoring the stares they were receiving from the rest of the student body.

"Hi." The brunette greeted her girlfriend with a smile and a kiss.

"Hi." Sadie replied kissing her again. "The people at your school sure do like to stare." She chuckled.

"They have such boring lives." Effy rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here anyway? Not that I'm not pleased to see you."

"Aiden and I were getting cabin fever in the apartment so we thought we'd come meet you and everyone else." Sadie informed her.

At the front door of the school Kieran stood watching his niece with a smile on his face. She was so happy now. He watched as Effy fooled around with Aiden before she ran off spying Naomi and Emily across the grounds. Doug appeared beside him and looked on too.

"Who's that with Effy Stonem?" He asked with great curiosity. The troubled girl was smiling and playing with a small red headed child.

"That would be her girlfriend and my niece." Kieran answered with a grin as Doug's jaw dropped. The he had a thought. "And possibly the answer to your prayers."

"What?" Doug looked startled, like a deer in headlights.

"Another one of those guidance councillors quit on you, yeah?" He began.

"Yes." Doug replied defeated. "It seems the students at this school are councillor terrorisers."

"Sadie would be perfect for the job." Kieran had never been so sure of anything in his life.

"Is she qualified?" Doug asked looking at the girl appraisingly thinking she couldn't be more than 20.

"She's 20 years old, she's dating Effy Stonem, that's _her_ daughter you see running around down there and she can keep James Cook in line." She certainly had the life experience to qualify.

"James Cook?" Doug's ears pricked up. "Really."

"Yeah." Kieran nodded. Doug thought about it for a minute or too.

"Do you think she'd be interested?" He asked.

"Only one way to find out." He replied walking down the steps towards his niece. Once Doug realised what was going on he quickly followed.

"Sadie." He called when he was in ear shot.

"Uncle Ke-yan!" Aiden greeted him brightly.

"Hi squirt." He nodded at the child.

"What's up uncle?" Sadie asked with a relaxed smile.

"I have a proposition for you." He smiled. He was hopeful about this. "Actually Doug has a proposition for you."

"Doug wants to proposition me?" She joked. Naomi grimaced at the image in her head. Doug stood for a second staring at the red head until she started to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Can you really control James Cook?" He still couldn't believe it was possible. After the events following the student election last year he had been looking for someone, anyone that could rein the boy in. Sadie chuckled.

"Cook? He's a pussycat really." She looked confused. "Is that what you wanted to ask me?"

"No." Doug shook his head and laughed. "I was going to offer you a job actually."

"What?" Sadie's brow furrowed and she looked at Kieran in confusion. He nodded encouragingly back at her.

"We have a bit of trouble finding councillors brave enough to face the...strong characters we have here at Roundview." He explained. "Your uncle said he thought you would be perfect for the job."

"A councillor?" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'm at all qualified..."

"My dear if you can keep James Cook in line I'm certain you will have no trouble with the rest of the student body." He grinned at her.

She stood for a moment stunned at the job offer. Could she really be a guidance councillor? What did she have to offer these kids who were merely a few years younger than her? She had been through a lot in her life though, she'd made most of the mistakes they were likely to be making. Perhaps she could offer them advice, or a positive role model or something.

"I don't know." She chewed her bottom lip. "What would it entail?"

"Meeting with students who have a problem they want to discuss, offering them advice on life, decisions, peer pressure, that sort of thing. Sometimes a student will get sent to you. It's only 3 days a week and we can be flexible on time." He said with a glance to Aiden in Emily's arms.

"I think you'd be great." Kieran offered, sensing her uncertainty. "And I know Gina would be more than willing to look after Aiden for you, if you wanted to do it."

"Really?" She asked. He nodded. The offer was tempting but it was still a lot to consider. "Thanks for the offer Doug, really, but I need to think about it. Can I get back to you?"

"Of course." He nodded enthusiastically. If she was willing to take the job he would wait for as long as she needed.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"Kieran can give you my details for when you make up your mind." He smiled, now feeling awkward. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too." She muttered as he walked away.

"Wow." Effy mumbled when he was gone.

"Yeah." Sadie sighed, unsure of what else to say.

"Think about it." Kieran put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze before turning and walking away.

"What just happened?" Katie, who had just walked out of college to see Doug talking to the group, asked.

"Doug just offered Sadie the councillor's job." Emily filled her in.

"Oh." She looked as shocked as Sadie felt. "Congratulations."

"Yeah thanks." Sadie giggled as they headed in the direction of home together. "But can we please talk about something else."

"I want to introduce Dermy to my parents." Katie announced providing all the distraction Sadie needed. Sadie scoffed slightly.

"Really?" She chuckled. "I take it he hasn't agreed to this yet?"

"No...Why?" Katie frowned.

"Because he's terrified of your parents." She explained looking in the older twins thoughtful brown eyes.

"Why?" She frowned even more.

"Because he's so much older than you." Effy explained. It was part of that really annoying perfect couple thing she and Sadie did sometimes.

"They won't care." Katie said dismissively. Emily laughed. "They won't!"

"I'm not saying he won't go. Fuck he painted himself orange for you, so I'm fairly certain he will do anything you ask him to. I'm just saying good luck dealing with his nerves." Sadie smirked.

"Well Naomi will be there too, so maybe he won't be that bad." Katie reasoned. Emily grimaced.

"Naomi will what?" The blonde asked, raising an eyebrow at her girlfriend.

"You haven't asked her yet?" Katie berated her sister.

"I was going to." Emily argued. "I just...hadn't gotten round to it yet."

"Please Naoms?" Katie pleaded. Naomi tried to maintain her resolve; dinner at the Fitch's was like having your teeth drilled, but when she looked at Katie's desperate eyes she couldn't say no. She reminded her too much of the younger twin.

"Oh alright." She sighed huffily.

"Thank you." The twins cried out in unison.

"Look on the bright side Naomi; you'll get to watch Diarmuid sweat buckets over meeting Rob." Sadie chuckled.

-

That night Sadie was making dinner and waiting for her brother to get back from work. Effy was entertaining Aiden in the living room leaving Sadie alone with her thoughts about the job offer. The more she thought about it the more tempting it became; even if she just tried to see if she could do it.

"We're back." Diarmuid called, informing them that Katie was with him. Thank God Sadie had anticipated that and made enough for all of them.

"How was work?" Sadie asked, knowing her brother never got tired of talking about _his_ shop.

"Fantastic!" He beamed and proceeded to tell them everything he had done that day in great detail. All three girls only half listened.

"That's great." Sadie replied half heartedly when he finished talking. One of these days she was going to have to stop indulging him. "Dinner's almost ready."

From the kitchen she could hear Aiden squealing with glee and some giggles from Diarmuid and Effy too. She rolled her eyes and began to plate the dinner.

"Stop messing around in there and come set the table." She shouted. Her brother obliged and they all sat down at the table to eat together. It was nice, kind of like a family dinner. Much better than the Fitch family dinners too since the food was edible and the atmosphere was rarely tense.

"Katie wants me to meet her parents." Diarmuid kicked off the dinner conversation.

"How nice?" Effy smiled somewhat sadistically.

"I'm not going." He pouted defiantly.

"Yeah you are." Sadie chuckled dryly.

"No I'm not." He tried to remain firm.

"If you want to keep what little dignity you have after Halloween you should stop protesting now and pretend like this was your idea." She smirked. He glared at her for a second before realising she was right. He cleared his throat and forced a smile.

"So I'm meeting Katie's parents on Friday."

"Really?" Sadie feigned shock. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm shitting bricks." He smiled wistfully.

"Ew." His girlfriend wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Sorry." He murmured sheepishly.

"I think that's great." Sadie smiled genuinely now.

"They'll love you." Effy assured him, after meeting a few of Katie's exes she would be dumbfounded if Diarmuid was the one they took offense to.

"Thanks Effy." He smiled at the girl's approval.

"How come when I said that you didn't believe me?" Katie huffed.

"Because you're biased." He replied giving the twin a love sick look that almost made Sadie and Effy lose their appetites.

"Naomi will be there too. She can save you when you start talking shit." Sadie pointed out.

"You didn't tell me Naomi was going to be there!" He looked at Katie.

"Yes I did!" She assured him sternly.

"Oh...well then I wasn't listening. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly. Effy muttered something about him being whipped.

"I got offered a job today." Sadie said nonchalantly, as if it were nothing more than a comment about the weather.

"What?" Diarmuid gasped like a little girl. "Really? Where?"

"At Roundview." She shrugged with a smile.

"Roundview?" Her brother was confused. "What's the job?"

"Guidance councillor."

"That's amazing!" He beamed proudly at her.

"It'd only be three days a week working with some of Roundview's more troubled students, you know like Katie, and Doug said the time would be flexible." She elaborated.

"When do you start?" Diarmuid asked excitedly.

"She hasn't accepted it yet." Effy said pointedly.

"What? Why not?" He gasped again.

"I don't know. There's a lot to consider." She shrugged feeling uncomfortable. "Like Aiden."

"Kieran said Gina would be more than happy to look after Gina." Effy reminded her.

"I bet she would too. She loves having Aiden around." Diarmuid agreed.

"I know but..." She trailed of unable to articulate how she was feeling.

"She's afraid of missing out with Aiden." Effy assessed correctly. Sadie looked at her. She really was wise beyond her years that Effy Stonem. And she understood her girlfriend completely.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Her brother rolled his eyes. "Its three days a week I'm sure Aiden will be glad to have you out of her hair for a few hours." He chuckled.

"Maybe." She chuckled and looked at her precious baby sitting beside her eating her dinner and making a completely mess of it.

"Plus you'll go crazy if you don't start getting out of the house and doing something." He added.

"That might be true." She blushed softly. She had gotten a bit stir crazy today before they decided to go meet Effy at school.

"I think you'd be really good at it." He smiled broadly, still feeling really proud of his baby sister.

"Yeah." Katie agreed whole heartedly. Effy smirked an I-told-you-so at Sadie.

"Alright. I probably will take it. At least get some finer details from Doug." She resolved. It seemed to satisfy everyone at the table.

"So Aiden what did you do today?" Uncle Dermy asked his niece, realising she had been left out of the conversation slightly.

"Went to school." The child informed him with a bright smile.

"Really?"

"To see Effy." She elaborated. "And Katie."

"Wow." He faked being astounded.

"Who else did you see?" Sadie prompted her daughter.

"Emily and Naomi and Ke-yan." She rhymed off the names.

"That's right." Sadie grinned. "Tell uncle Dermy what Emily and Naomi did."

"Give a swing." Aiden grinned recounting how they had each taken her hand on the walk home and given her a swing.

"No not that." Sadie shook her head. "After that...when Emily was going home. What did they do?"

"Kiss." Aiden rolled her eyes and chuckled as did everyone else at the table.

The rest of dinner was filled with similar amusing stories and pleasant small talk at least until Diarmuid was told he had to do the dishes and he started cursing about the fact that the apartment didn't have a dishwasher. Sadie took great pleasure in the fact that he wouldn't get away with backing out of doing them tonight because Katie was there.

-

Later that night Sadie and Effy were lying in bed ready to fall asleep. It was the third night that week that the brunette had not bothered going home, she felt she deserved to stay all week after the two Sadie-less days she spent doing her English coursework.

"You really think I'd be good at it?" Sadie asked a half sleeping Effy.

"I know you would." She smiled.

"Really?" The red head just needed some reassurance.

"Definitely. Look at us. I never opened up to anyone before you. And Naomi I don't think she's ever had an emotional conversation with anyone except perhaps Emily but I bet she has with you." Sadie remained thoughtfully silent.

"And Doug is right, you can control Cook." She chuckled.

"Years of practise with Diarmuid." Sadie rolled her eyes.

"I think you should go for it." Effy urged her partner. "And don't worry about Aiden; she knows you love her more than anything. This is something you need to do for yourself."

"How did you get to be so wise?" Sadie raised her eyebrow at the younger girl.

"I was born this way." She replied cheekily. Sadie laughed and captured her lips for a kiss.

"Thanks." She said softly. "For encouraging me."

"Any time." Effy's blue eyes sparkled when she looked at Sadie. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sadie kissed her once more then rolled over to turn out the light. "Goodnight." She said as she cuddled into the taller girl's side.


	5. Friday night arrives without a suitcase

"I have _nothing _to wear!" Diarmuid huffed melodramatically and threw himself on the couch. Sadie rolled her eyes praying that her daughter never inherited the Best temperament. It was 9am on Friday morning and Sadie's patience was wearing thin after listening to him fret over meeting Katie's parents since Wednesday.

"Don't be ridiculous Diarmuid. You have a mountain of clothes."

"I have no appropriate clothes. I need something nice." He groaned. "Preferably with long sleeves to cover these!" He waved his tattooed forearms at her.

"Why?"

"I'm 6 fucking years older than her! Is that not bad enough without walking in with my arms covered in tattoos." He sighed. He really wanted to make a good impression on them.

"You're a tattoo artist for fucksake!" She shook her head. "Don't just assume that they have some archaic prejudice about people with tattoos. They're flowers! How fucking offensive are flowers?"

He just stared back at her gurning.

"Fine if it means that much to you..." She sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket and dialled.

"Hey Naoms. Listen you have that dentist appointment today right?" She waited for the blonde's response. "You're on your way. So do you intend on going to college after it? ...I didn't think so." She laughed. "Can you do me a huge favour and call round to ours when you're done? ...I'll explain when you get here...about half an hour that's great, see you then. Thanks."

She hung up the phone and looked at her brother.

"What exactly is Naomi going to do?" He griped.

"Well she can take you shopping while I'm picking mum and dad up for one thing." She said pointedly. In his panic over meeting the Fitches he seemed to have forgotten that their parents would be arriving in just a few short hours for Aiden's birthday party the next day. "And she has firsthand knowledge of the terrifying Fitches. She can coach you on what to do and what not to do."

"Oh...Good idea." His face brightened a bit. He hadn't considered that. "See that's why you are the brains of the family."

Sadie continued her vigorous cleaning of the house. She knew her mother would arrive and inspect every inch of the house for dirt or sign of neglect so she could site it as a reason why they must come back to Ireland immediately; or worse why she would be forced to come stay with them for a while. Every now and then Diarmuid would take a small break from fretting and pretend to help her clean something. Even Aiden was more helpful than him; she was busy brushing the kitchen floor. By the time the doorbell rang 45 minutes later the whole flat was sparkling and Aiden was still brushing the floor.

"It's Naomi." The tot shouted when Sadie answered the door.

"Hi." Naomi greeted her brightly before turning to Sadie looking slightly worried. "What's wrong?"

"It's my brother." She rolled her eyes. "He's being a moany bitch over this dinner tonight."

"I am not!" He contested when they joined him in the living room.

"Oh please, you are nothing but a man shaped woman!" She scoffed, he northern Irish accent sounding particularly thick.

"What do you want me to do about it?" The blonde asked, still unsure about why Sadie had asked her to come round.

"You could take him shopping for one thing." Sadie suggested, knowing Naomi might not be entirely keen on that plan. "Unless you'd rather pick Anne Marie up from the airport?"

"That's alright." Naomi said with some certainty. Taking the moody Irish man shopping was definitely the lesser of those two evils. "Why do you need to go shopping though?"

A grimace from Sadie told her she shouldn't have asked that question.

"He needs a respectable looking, long sleeved top...apparently." Sadie rolled her eyes and Naomi looked at her questioningly. "Don't ask."

Naomi nodded affirmatively. She had enough experience living with Kieran to know to heed those words of advice. "Ok."

"Maybe you could talk him through it a little too. Tell him what they're like...how he can impress them? It might calm his nerves." The red head suggested.

"Ok." Naomi shrugged again. She wasn't really sue she had any words of wisdom involving the Fitch parents. Sadie checked the time on her phone.

"Shit. We better get going soon. Aiden come get your coat on." She shouted and the toddler came running in from the kitchen.

"I can't." She said very matter-of-factly. "I'm cleanin a kitchen."

"The kitchen is clean, come get your coat on, we're going to pick up Granny and Granddad." Her mother informed her.

"Come for my party." Aiden said dropping the dustpan and brush to the floor and rushing to her mother.

"Yeah it's your birthday tomorrow isn't it?" Naomi asked with a smile. Aiden had really grown on her and changed her opinion about kids. Well about some kids cause some really were just annoying.

"Yeah. I have a party." The mini red head grinned.

"Wow! Can I come?" Naomi asked pleadingly.

"Yeah." Aiden nodded sweetly. "And Emily."

Naomi fake cheered.

"Alright then, let's go." Sadie got to her feet and picked Aiden up. "Thank you so, so much for doing this for me Naomi. I owe you one! Diarmuid! Behave yourself! And don't be taking you mood out on Naomi." She warned her brother before heading out the door. He responded by mimicking her once the door had closed. Naomi giggled slightly.

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" The blonde asked, looking at the Irish lad thoughtfully.

"Probably not!" He laughed and shook his head at how immature he was being. "But I really appreciate it."

They headed into town together. Diarmuid seemed to be engrossed in his thoughts and Naomi wasn't quite sure what to say to him when he was in this mood so the walk was rather quiet.

"Why do you want to cover up your tattoos?" She eventually asked even though she had been warned not to; the silence got too much for her.

"I want to make a good impression." He sighed. Naomi had never seen him look so vulnerable. It was strange and a little unsettling. "They're probably already freaked out by the fact that I'm so much older than her and some people just...have this preconceived notion about people who are heavily tattooed. Its shit I know, but they do and I just...really want them to like me."

"You really like her, don't you?" Naomi smiled at him, her blue eyes twinkling.

"I think...I think I might love her." He said sheepishly. This was the first time he'd actually admitted it out loud. Not even to Sadie, although he was fairly certain she already knew; she always seemed to know him better than he knew himself. Naomi squealed slightly. She couldn't help herself it was just so cute. Diarmuid blushed.

"Have you told Katie this?" She asked. He looked at her with wide eyes, like she had just gone crazy.

"No!" He shook his head.

"You should." She encouraged. "She feels the same way, you know that don't you?"

He looked at her uncertainly and she rolled her eyes. It was fucking obvious that Katie loved the Irish tattoo artist. Since they started going out she had seemed happier and more content. Even when she was insulting Naomi she wasn't as vicious as she used to be. The relationship had definitely changed her for the better.

"Well she does." She assured him. "And she won't care if her parents can't see how great you are. It's Emily's opinion that matters most to her anyway and Ems already thinks you're the best boyfriend Katie's ever had. So don't worry."

Diarmuid smiled at her feeling reassured. His whole body relaxed and his mood lightened.

"But still...It would be nice if they liked me too." He gave her a boyish grin.

"Well you have a Y chromosome so they already like you more than me." Naomi laughed although she couldn't help but feel a little bitter. Rob had accepted Emily and made a big effort to make Naomi feel welcome, but Jenna was still more than a little hostile. He gave her a sympathetic look.

"Rob's a fitness instructor, right, so if you can do 10 pull ups on the naughty bar he will be well impressed. You look like you go to the gym so you can talk to him about that. Rob's lovely, really." She smiled. Rob wouldn't be a problem. "It's Jenna you want to watch out for. She wears the trousers in that family. It's probably best to avoid all topics that may be controversial and for fucksake avoid talking about homosexuality like it is the fucking plague."

She chuckled at his terrified face. But Dermy was endearing, perhaps not as charming as his sister but Naomi had no doubt he would be able to win Jenna over.

"Anything else I should know?" He asked, making a mental note of everything she had said so far.

"The food will taste like shit so it's best to eat before you arrive but compliment her mum on it anyway. And don't worry about James. He's just a little weird."

"Her little brother?" Diarmuid looked confused.

"Yeah. Just try not to react if he says something at the table that sets Jenna off. He has a knack for causing little scenes. Oh and don't be surprised if he sits down at the table wearing a strange combination of women's clothes." She finished with a nod, confident she had covered everything. Diarmuid absorbed all the information.

"Thanks Naomi." He threw his arm around her and gave her an awkward side hug as they walked.

"No problem." She smiled at her pseudo brother. She really wanted tonight to go well for him. He and Katie really are a cute couple. "And don't worry, if you get stuck or panicked or anything I'll jump in to save you." She promised.

"You're my hero!" He cried melodramatically as they stepped through the doors of Topshop ready to browse.

To Aiden Best the arrivals lounge at the airport was possibly the greatest place on earth. There was a vast expanse of slippery flooring she could run and slide on as well as any number of luggage carts and baggage carrousels for her to climb on. Sadie received many disapproving glances and stares as she followed her daughter around preventing her from injuring herself. She fired fuck you glances back at them the child was two, she should be allowed to run around and have fun. Sadie sure as hell wasn't going to stop her. She never wanted Aiden to be one of those children who was afraid to breathe in public without their parent's permission.

"Aiden look." She pulled the little girl up into her arms when she saw the crowds swarm through the double doors at the far side of the room. "There's Granny and Granddad."

"Aiden!" Anne Marie's thick Northern Irish accent cut right over the din of the busy airport. She grabbed the toddler from Sadie's arms and smothering her with kisses. "I missed you so much."

"Mum, you're kind of smothering my daughter." Sadie grimaced and her mother reluctantly let go.

"I missed you too pet." Anne Marie assured her and gave her a tight hug.

"Not as much as I did though." Diarmuid senior put his arm around his daughter. "The house is a much less sane place without you."

"I can imagine." Sadie chuckled casting a sidelong glance in her mother's direction.

They collected their luggage and headed out to the car park. Sadie had never been so glad she decided to bring her car over to Bristol with her, the thought that she would have had to borrow Kieran's scrap heap terrified her. She had been toying with the idea of leaving it in Ireland or selling it and buying a new one but decided it would be easier to bring it across the water with her. When they were able to fit the suitcases into the boot with room to spare and no strange noises came from the car when they all got in she knew she had made the right choice.

"Do you want to come see the apartment now or would you rather drop your stuff off at Kieran and Gina's first?" Sadie asked, starting the car up.

"Whatever is handy for you." Big Derm shrugged.

"Doesn't really make much difference, we can call in now or I can just drive to dinner later."

"The sure just bring us to your apartment then." Anne Marie said decisively from the backseat. "I'm dying to see it."

"Ok. We'll do that then we can head into town and visit Derm at work." Sadie nodded. That plan would work.

"I can't wait to see the shop either. It sounds like he's made a really good job of it." She smiled proudly.

"It's amazing." Sadie had to admit that her brother had really gone above and beyond in designing the shop.

"So how are things in Bristol?" Her mother asked.

"Things are good." Sadie shrugged and prepared herself for the onslaught of questions she was about to face.

"And how is Effy doing?"

"You mean since you last spoke to her 2 days ago?" Sadie chuckled. "She's good too."

"She's still coming to dinner tonight, right?"

"Yes mother." Sadie sighed. Anne Marie was not best pleased when she learned Diarmuid was due to meet Katie's parents the night they arrived in Bristol meaning not only would her son be absent from their welcome dinner but also Naomi and Emily.

"That's good." The blonde woman smiled and nodded happily. "Are Naomi and Emily still madly in love?"

Sadie rolled her head back and groaned. Anne Marie's questions continued the whole way along the motorway and right up until Sadie pulled up outside their building.

"We're home." Aiden announced. Sadie led them inside and brought them on the grand tour. They headed upstairs first so Aiden could show her grandparents her princess room and her big girl bed.

"And look...its Peppa!" She pointed to her bed sheets.

"I know. It's great. Do you like your new house?" Anne Marie asked.

"Yes I do." Aiden nodded and ginned. They left Aiden's room and moved down the hall.

"This is my room." Sadie pushed open the door feeling glad that she had cleaned it that morning. Anne Marie smiled and nodded as she took in the room. She noticed quite a lot of things that clearly belonged to Effy littering the cabinets and beside the bed; it made her smile even more. Things were clearly going well for them if Effy was staying here so often she'd left a collection of her stuff behind.

"Bathroom." They paused briefly to look into the black and white tiled room where the toilet lived.

"This is Derm's room." She hesitated upon opening the door, unsure of what state they would find it in. "He wouldn't let me in here to clean it this morning so I don't know what shape it's in."

To her surprise her brother's room was actually quite tidy, with the exception of the giant mountain of what looked to be every top the man owned. Anne Marie moved to hang them all up again for him, like she would do at home but Sadie stopped her.

"It's his mess." She said sternly. "And it's probably organised chaos, he's majorly stressing over meeting Katie's parents tonight."

"Oh alright." Anne Marie huffed set the top back on the pile and they backed out of the room.

They headed downstairs and looked at the living room, kitchen and dining room. Sadie sat down on one of the couches in the living room and waited for her mother to voice her opinion.

"It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be." She sounded pleasantly surprised. "It's lovely."

That hadn't been quite the reaction Sadie was expecting but it was much better so she smiled broadly at her mother.

"It's great." Diarmuid agreed, taking a seat beside his daughter and giving her leg a reassuring squeeze. Anne Marie proceeded to produce a bottle of Holy water from her handbag and began dowsing every inch of the house with it, as was the old Irish tradition.

"How the fuck did she get that on the plane?" Sadie shook her head and laughed.

"I think she took it out of her suitcase in the airport." Her father answered. Aiden was following her grandmother around the house finding it very amusing to watch her sprinkle water on all the floors and beds.

"So is it far from the tattoo shop?" Diarmuid asked when his wife returned to the living room and sat down.

"Not too far." Sadie informed him. "I mean it's a close enough walk. We're only taking the car cause all your stuff is in it."

"That's handy." He nodded. His daughter reached across and grabbed his arm, pulling it towards her to look at his watch.

"We can go now if you're ready." She suggested. Her parents agreed and a few minutes later they piled into the fiesta and were gone.

It had taken Diarmuid 2 months of fussing and shouting down the phone at different builders and other such people to get his shop just the way he had imagined it but in the end it all paid off, it looked amazing. When the shop opened a few weeks ago it was exactly how he had pictured it; it was a place he could be proud of.

Walking through the doors the first thing that struck you was the artwork on the back wall. The wall itself was painted black and Diarmuid has spent over a week using chalk to draw a tattoo inspired piece of art on it. The size of it alone and the detail was incredible. Turning around they could see he had done the same thing around the door and window. The other two walls were painted a cool white that provided a stark contrast and made the artwork stand out even more. Diarmuid's dream was to open a tattoo parlour that was also a cool place for people to hang out. The large reception area was filled with soft leather couches and funky mismatched throw cushions that Emily had helped him find and create from old vintage t-shirts and things like that. They provided a dangerously comfortable place where people could kick back and relax, enjoying the coffee and snacks the place also sold. He was leaning over the counter when they arrived.

"Welcome." He grinned, watching as his parent's mouths dropped. They silently took in their surroundings for a minute before Anne Marie rushed to hug her son.

"Amazing!" She squealed, pulling him from behind the counter and crushing his ribs. "I am so proud of you. You did it...you really did and it looks...just...incredible."

"Seriously son..." His father beamed feeling awed by what the boy had achieved. "You've done well."

Diarmuid blushed and thanked them. Anne Marie looked around some more giving the men a chance to talk shop and Aiden helped herself to the confectionary while Sadie opted for the caffeine.

"It's going really well. We've only been opened for a few weeks but there's been quite a bit of interest." Diarmuid beamed, feeling quite pleased with himself. He just felt like he had achieved so much. "I want to find someone to do piercings as well, you know, once I get the place on its feet that is. I had sort of been hoping my sister would go in for it but then she got that other job offer, so I'll have to look elsewhere."

"You're sister was never interested in doing it anyway." Sadie smirked. He mimicked her and made a face in response. Their mother rolled her eyes at them. She really couldn't understand how they had been living on together for almost 4 months without a referee and hadn't killed each other yet.

"So did you get something to wear?" Sadie asked.

"I did." He smiled happily. "I got a very nice cardigan thing."

Sadie laughed and Diarmuid's smile quickly transformed into a scowl.

"What?"

"Nothing." She giggled. "I'm just having a hard time imagining you in a cardigan."

"Naomi said it was nice." He pouted.

"I'm sure it's lovely." Anne Marie chimed in. "What is it?"

"A cardigan." Her son informed her.

"A cardigan?" The Irish woman looked confused.

"Yes." Sadie nodded, leaning over the counter. "For him to wear to his big meet the family dinner at Katie's tonight. He's been sweating blood for days now and he decided he needed something that would cover up his tattoos."

"Why does he need to cover his tattoos?" Anne Marie sounded insulted. "You shouldn't have to hide who you are just so Katie's parents will like you. And she shouldn't ask you to!"

"She didn't!" He said defensively. "It was my idea! I just want them to like me."

"Oh love." His mother cupped his face in her hand and shook his head. "Of course they're going to love you son."

"Thanks Ma!" He smiled. Sadie rolled her eyes and muttered the word favourite under her breath earning her a glare from Anne Marie.

"Anyway..." Sadie said quickly before her mother could say anything to her. "I should get you guys to Kieran and Gina's before they start wondering where you are."

Anne Marie checked the time on her watch and was shocked at how late in the day it actually was.

"Yeah we probably should get going." She agreed. "Listen to me son. Don't worry about tonight. Just be yourself and you will be fine. It's better that they don't like you for who you are than for them to like you as someone you are not."

"I know." He sighed and offered his mother a smile and a hug.

"I'll see you back home." Sadie said as she scooped Aiden up in her arms and they filed out the door.

"Bye." He muttered after they were gone. He stood for a moment proudly looking around his shop. _His_ shop. And tonight he would meet _his_ girlfriend's parents. Things were going well in Bristol.

Diarmuid was fussing around and generally complaining about his appearance while Sadie was getting Aiden ready for dinner with her parents. She shot an amused look at her girlfriend, who was lounging on the sofa, as they watched the man fix his hair for literally the 50th time that evening.

"You know sometimes I feel like I have a sister." She joked and ignored the rude gesture her brother gave her in response.

"I just want it to go well!" He huffed in exasperation.

"And it will." She assured him. "But you need to relax or you're going to have a stroke before you even get there."

"Ok. Ok!" He rolled his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Ok I'm ready. Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Effy smiled optimistically.

"Tell Uncle Dermy good luck." Sadie instructed her daughter.

"Good luck." The child obliged offering him one of her brightest smile. It was enough to make him smile too and relax slightly.

"Enjoy dinner." He called over his shoulder before walking out the door.

"I hope for their sake they love him." Sadie said after he was gone. "Otherwise..."

She made silent threats towards the Fitches that made Effy giggle. Sadie was almost as protective of Dermy as he was over her.

"How could they not love him?" Effy rolled her eyes.

"I suppose...he is _my _brother." The red head joked to lighten the tense mood Diarmuid had left behind him. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes again.

"Are you ready to go?" Sadie asked when she finished buckling Aiden's shoes.

"Always." Effy winked and pushed herself off the couch.

"Cute." Sadie grinned and kissed the brunette.

"I thought so." She shrugged and grinned.

"Let's go!" Aiden shouted impatiently at them making them both laugh.

Diarmuid stood on the doorstep outside the Fitch household trying to summon the courage to ring the doorbell. He inhaled deeply, remembering all the advice he'd been given, and exhaled slowly.

"It's going to go well." He told himself and took a small step forward towards the door.

"Been standing there long?" Emily's voice from behind him made him jump out of his skin. He gave a startled grunt and turned to find Emily and Naomi walking up the driveway.

"Nope." He lied and smiled.

"You're right..." The red head turned to her girlfriend. "It is cute how nervous he is."

"Hey!" The Irish lad protested.

"I told you." The blonde smirked.

"Come on Derm-Derm." Emily used the affectionate term his sister had for him and threw her arm around his shoulder and moved to open the door.

"Katie!" Emily called the older twin. "Demy is here!"

There was the sound of hurried footsteps above before Katie appeared on the stairs. She smiled broadly at her boyfriend, who looked rather cute in his t-shirt/cardigan combination. The sight of Katie smiling reminded Diarmuid that all of the stress and worry and wrinkles induced by the thought of this evening's dinner was worth it. Jenna appeared from the kitchen as Katie stood beside Diarmuid and took his arm.

"Hello." She greeted him with a fake looking smile. She couldn't help but notice the way Katie was looking at this boy. It was unlike the way she had stared at any of the other boys she had brought home.

"Mum. This is my boyfriend Dear-mid." She smiled proudly. Diarmuid couldn't help but smile too; Katie had clearly been practising the correct pronunciation of his name.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Fitch." He smiled politely and held out his hand to the woman.

"Please...call me Jenna." She smiled, staring at him appraisingly as she shook his hand. "Dear-mid." She repeated slowly and carefully. He laughed nervously and nodded.

"Diarmuid." He said in a more natural tone. "It's Irish."

"It's a very nice name." Jenna offered him a small, slightly more genuine smile.

"You think it's hard to say...wait till you try to write his Christmas card." Naomi muttered to Emily. The spelling of her new cousin's name still stumped her.

"Rob!" Jenna shrieked loudly and suddenly the fear of God was re-instilled in the Irish man. "Come meet Katie's new boyfriend."

Diarmuid swallowed hard when Rob appeared in the hallway. He did look slightly intimidating, although Diarmuid was sure he could take him if he had to and there was something about the way his eyes twinkled when he looked at his daughters that told Diarmuid they probably had him wrapped around their little fingers.

"Alright lad." He greeted him in a thick Scouse accent.

"Mr Fitch." Diarmuid replied in an equally thick Northern Irish accent and extended his hand to Rob.

"Whoa!" Rob nodded appreciatively. "Good arm! You must work out?"

"I try to." He nodded, happy to have found some common ground with Katie's father; the gym was a subject he felt comfortable talking about. "But since the move I haven't had a chance to find a gym."

"Come to my gym!" Rob insisted leading the whole group towards the living room. "You won't just get fit, you'll get Fitch."

Naomi stifled a laugh.

"Something tells me he's already getting more than enough Fitch." She muttered quietly to her girlfriend. Emily nudged her in the ribs and a blush crept up her cheeks at the thought. She tried her hardest to glare at the blonde but the smirk that played across her lips betrayed her.

Sadie rang the doorbell and walked on into Kieran and Gina's with Effy and Aiden in tow.

"We're here." She called to announce their arrival as they ventured through the house in search of its inhabitants.

"Oh hello girls." Gina greeted them brightly moving away from the cooker briefly to envelope them all in a hug. They removed their coats and made themselves at home.

"I thought I heard the door." Anne Marie appeared in the doorway behind them. Effy quickly braced herself for the squeeze. "It's lovely to see you again Effy."

"You too Annie." Effy smiled. Sadie rolled her eyes and laughed to herself, remembering the trip to Ireland when Effy had developed that nickname for her mother. Annie and Effy partners in crime...it had been a rather drunken conversation to say the least.

"Why weren't you at the airport this morning?" The Irish woman lowered her eyebrow in accusation.

"I wanted to go." Effy sighed. "But your daughter said it wasn't a valid reason to bunk off college."

"And neither it was." Sadie said pointedly, while she helped Aiden onto her seat.

"Oh nonsense." Anne Marie scoffed. "A bit of skiving never did anyone any harm. You should know that, you did enough of it."

Effy grinned smugly at her girlfriend who had just been put in her place by her mother. Sadie shot her a look in return.

"Effy my dear." Sadie's father entered the room and threw his arms around the skinny brunette. "How the hell are you?"

"Big Derm!" Effy giggled. "I'm good. How are you? Anne Marie treating you right?"

"Oh...as well as can be expected." He chuckled. Sadie watched the exchange with a massive smile on her face. Her parents had never really had a problem with any of her other girlfriends but they hadn't gotten on with any of them the way they did with Effy. It was blatantly obvious they loved her almost as much as Sadie herself did. The brunette sat down beside her girlfriend, looking at her curiously, wondering why she was staring at her.

"What?" She asked when after a minute Sadie hadn't stopped staring, or explained why she was staring.

"Nothing." Sadie shook herself from her thoughts and smiled at the girl.

"Kieran!" Gina shouted out the window to her husband who was smoking in the garden. "Dinner's ready!"

"Right!" He shouted back, stubbing out his cigarette and trudging back to the house.

"Dinner is served." Jenna announced in a very fake, polite voice that made her daughters look at her like she'd lost it. "Katie would you get your brother please?"

"James!" Katie screeched all over the house. Jenna winced at the sound.

"Get, Katie. I said _get_ your brother." Jenna sighed at the fact her daughter had ruined the pretence they were a pleasant and posh family. "I could have done that!"

"Sorry." The brunette twin shrugged, not really understanding what the big deal was. She took Diarmuid's arm and led him towards the dining room.

"Can I help you with anything?" He asked Jenna. She looked like she was shocked to have someone offer their assistance voluntarily.

"No. It's alright." She assured him with an approving smile and a nod towards her oldest daughter. "You just take a seat."

"Suck up." Emily teased.

"I'm just polite." He shot back with a sarcastic grin. He sat down beside Katie and felt her reach across to link their hands under the table. James rushed in through the door in front of his mum who had her hands full of soup bowls. Dermy was suddenly glad Naomi had given him a heads up because the boy sat down in a pair of black leggings and a floral print, off the shoulder top with a bandana tied around his wavy blonde hair.

"What do you think of my new outfit, Naomi?" He asked excitedly.

"It's great Jimbo." The blonde chuckled. "Or is it Britt today?"

Jenna pulled a face; she really didn't think they should be e encouraging that kind of behaviour in him.

"You can call me whatever you want." He grinned boyishly at her. Diarmuid thought it was cute the little crush he had. James turned his attention to the Irish man. "You must be Katie's new boyfriend then."

"I am." Diarmuid nodded. James stared at him for a second before smiling.

"Nice cardigan." He nodded appreciatively at the Irish guy's style.

"Thanks." He replied with a smile. At least someone appreciated his bold new venture into fashion.

"So Dermot..." Jenna sat down at the table and eyed the boy appraisingly. "Tell us about yourself."

He squirmed uncomfortably not sure what to say.

"Dermy just moved here from Ireland." Katie helped him out. He gave her a grateful smile. "And he opened his own tattoo parlour in town."

"That was you?" Rob vaguely recalled hearing something about this. "Are you any good?"

"Eh..." Diarmuid winced modestly.

"He's a brilliant artist." Katie smiled proudly.

"Do you have any tattoos?" James asked with great intrigue.

"A few." The Irish man nodded.

"Can I see them?" The boy pressed. Diarmuid looked to Katie for approval before unbuttoning his cardigan and revealing the large tattoo on his left bicep; a fairy surrounded by a variety of flowers.

"Whoa!" James was impressed. "Will you give me a tattoo?" He asked eagerly.

"Sure." Diarmuid smiled. "When you're 18!" James' face fell causing his sisters to laugh.

"So how do you like Bristol?" Jenna asked, trying to steer the conversation away from tattoos.

"It's a nice place. I've always liked it and now just seemed like the right time to move." He replied.

"Do you miss your family?" Jenna asked sympathetically.

"Sort of." He shrugged. "My sister and niece moved over here with me and my uncle Kieran has been living here for years. So I still have most of my family around. My parents are visiting this weekend actually."

"That's nice." Jenna smiled approvingly. So far he was making a very good impression.

"So how did you two meet?" Rob asked.

"We met at Naomi's mum's wedding." Katie explained with a nod towards the blonde.

"Oh _that _Kieran." A look of realisation played across her father's face.

"Anyway I couldn't find Emily at the reception and Dermy offered to help me." She smiled girlishly at her boyfriend. Emily and Naomi shared a look. Somehow they couldn't help but think that the real story was probably not as romantic.

"How lovely." Jenna smiled.

"Very gentleman-like." Rob nodded.

"He is." Katie beamed. James made gagging noises which made Naomi and Emily giggle.

"So Effy how is college going?" Diarmuid asked the brunette when they sat down to dinner.

"Very well thanks." She smiled.

"I'll say!" Kieran scoffed. "She's been in more days this term than she was in all of last year."

"That's probably true." Effy giggled. "That's probably thanks to Sadie...she complains so much when I skip a day that it's just easier to go in than to listen to her." She joked and laughter passed around the table. Sadie glowered slightly.

"Yeah, well...you'll thank me one day." She huffed.

"That reminds me actually..." Kieran said with a mouthful of potato. "Doug wanted me to tell you that he's found a place that does an accelerated counselling course and he's pulled some strings and got you onto it...late registration...so you'll have a bit of catching up to do but it means you'll be done with it in a year."

"Really?" Sadie was pleased. She hadn't been expecting to hear about a place so soon. She thought it would be ages before she was actually qualified for the job.

"That's fantastic." Anne Marie gushed.

"He said can you let him know as soon as possible if you're going to take it because they can only hold the place for a limited time." Kieran added with an encouraging smile.

"Call him now." Anne Marie insisted with a vigorous nodding of her head.

"I'm not calling him now." Sadie shook her head in response.

"Why not?" The blonde woman looked confused. "You're taking the place aren't you? And he said as soon as possible. I think now is as soon as possible."

"You _are_ taking the place, aren't you?" Effy asked noticing her girlfriend's hesitation. Sadie sucked in a deep breath.

"Why wouldn't you take the place?" Anne Marie demanded.

"She's afraid she won't be any good at it." Effy answered on behalf of the red head. "I told her that was ridiculous."

"Ah...You'd be brilliant...you're already great with giving people advice and helping them with their problems. Sure why not get paid for it?" Kieran smiled at his niece. "Besides Gina's already started planning for when she'll be looking after Aiden and if you take that away from her she'll be devastated."

"I will." Gina agreed honestly making everyone chuckle.

"I guess I'm taking that place then." Sadie said, a slow smile creeping over her face.

"Damn sure you are!" Anne Marie said firmly. "You'd be doing the kids at Roundview a disservice by not taking it. They'd miss out on having such a great guidance councillor."

"Yeah the last few haven't lasted long enough to be any good." Effy pointed out.

"I think the biggest obstacle to the job is James Cook." Kieran mused.

"Probably." Sadie and Effy agreed in unison.

"So you'll call him then?" Anne Marie pressed. Sadie looked confused.

"What?" She wondered why her mother was talking about calling Cook.

"Doug!" Her mother sighed in frustration.

"Oh." Sadie chuckled at how wrong she had been. "Yeah in the morning."

"Good!" Anne Marie smiled feeling rather pleased.

"I wonder how Diarmuid's getting on?" Sadie mused out loud in an attempt to get off this topic of conversation.

"My son?" Anne Marie said proudly. "I'm sure he's doing great."

"You're probably right." Gina agreed. The Irish boy was endearing and generally lovely. She was certain the Fitches would like him.

"Thanks for dinner Mrs Fitch. It was delicious." Diarmuid smiled politely.

"Please, call me Jenna!" She insisted with the most genuine smile Naomi had ever seen the woman give.

"Jenna." He nodded.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" She asked again as he headed towards the door.

"No I need to get home." He said sadly. "Aiden's birthday party is tomorrow and I promised my sister I'd help her set up for it tonight."

"Oh that's nice." Jenna sighed. Katie had got herself a real gentleman for once. Nothing like that football playing cretin Danny.

"I'm going to go now too." Naomi informed Emily who was probably the only one who was interested.

"I'll walk you." Diarmuid grinned at his cousin.

"Thanks." She smiled back. She was grateful for how well dinner had gone thanks to his presence. Jenna hadn't even tried to make her feel unwelcome for once. The whole family walked to the door with the guests.

"Thanks for dinner." The blonde said, feeling brave and addressing Jenna directly.

"You're welcome." Jenna smiled. It wasn't as bright as the smile she had given Diarmuid but it was a civil response so Naomi considered it a result. Emily smiled proudly at her girlfriend, her eyes twinkling to show she would be rewarded for her efforts.

"Listen Dermy, just tell Katie when you fancy hitting the gym and she can tell me. I'm sure we can sort something out." Rob winked at the muscular boy. He was positively thrilled to have someone who was as enthusiastic about working out as he was.

"No problem." Diarmuid was excited at the prospect of getting back to the gym. "And James keep working on that right hook maybe next time I won't have you on the ground squealing like Brittany."

"I'll get you next time." The boy seethed.

"Sure you will." Dermy teased. "Thanks again for everything."

"Don't mention it. Hopefully you'll come back soon." Jenna replied.

"We'd love that." Diarmuid smiled, indicating he and Naomi were a package deal. Jenna wasn't thrilled at the idea but dinner hadn't been too bad so she smiled and nodded.

"Fitches...we'll see you at the party tomorrow. 12 sharp or Aiden will make you pay." He chuckled.

"Goodnight." The twins called to their respective partners as they walked down the drive together.

"Goodnight." Naomi replied sadly, wishing more than anything that she could kiss her girlfriend goodbye. The door to the Fitch household closed behind them and Naomi and Diarmuid walked in silence for a minute.

"I think that went well." He sounded very pleased with himself.

"Well are you joking?" Naomi scoffed. "They fucking loved you."

"They did a little." He beamed. Naomi rolled her eyes. "They seem to be warming to you a little more too."

"Yeah thanks to you." The blonde nodded. "Thanks for that by the way."

"Don't mention it. Love me love my cousin." He grinned and threw his arm around the girl. "It's still early...do you have time for a celebratory beer at ours before you go home?"

"Sure, why not?" She smiled and they turned off in the direction of the Best's apartment.

When they got back to the flat Sadie and Effy were curled up watching TV. They sat up when the pair walked through the door.

"Well...how did it go?" Sadie asked tentatively.

"It went great!" Her brother beamed, disappearing into the kitchen to grab some beers from the fridge.

"He had them eating out of the palm of his hand!" Naomi agreed. The man in question returned and handed them each a beer.

"So all that panic was for nothing then." Sadie rolled her eyes and popped the cap off her beer. Her brother shrugged.

"How was your dinner?" He asked.

"Great!" Sadie stretched.

"Probably a lot more fun than yours." Effy smirked. "Anne Marie missed you by the way." She informed the blonde.

"Yeah you're not allowed to schedule dinner at Emily's for nights that she is in Bristol ever again." Sadie chuckled. Naomi giggled too. She kind of wished she and Emily had been at the Best dinner instead.

"I promise I won't." She assured them and dropped onto the couch beside them. They fell into easy conversation for an hour or so before they decided to call it a night; they had to get up early for Aiden's party in the morning. Diarmuid chivalrously walked his cousin home. When he got back he stopped by his sister's room. She and Effy were lying in bed together almost asleep.

"Sadie." He said softly as not to startle them.

"What?" She grunted.

"I love you." He smiled. He really had a wonderful family.

"I love you too Derm." She sighed. Leave it to her brother to come over all sentimental when she was ready to fall asleep. "Now go to bed."

"Ok." He chuckled. "Eff."

"Yeah?" The brunette responded in a nicer tone than her girlfriend.

"I love you too." He said sheepishly.

"Thanks." She chuckled. "Likewise."

"Yes we all love each other." Sadie remarked impatiently; she was too tired for this. "Now darling brother go phone your girlfriend and leave us alone because it her you really want to say it too."

Diarmuid chuckled. She really knew him too well.

"Goodnight." He shook his head and closed the door softly behind him.


	6. It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

The next morning Effy stirred in bed and reached out to find that Sadie wasn't there. She sat up and looked around the room pouting with confusion for a moment before she remembered that today was the day of Aiden's third birthday party and Sadie had gotten up early to decorate for it. When she thought about it she could faintly recall hearing the alarm going off earlier. She got out of bed and stretched looking around for something to pull on. Grabbing one of Sadie's over sized drinks promotion t-shirts she headed downstairs in search of her girlfriend.

She found her in the living room blowing up balloons. She smiled brightly at Effy when she entered the room.

"Good morning." She greeted her as the brunette crossed the room to kiss her.

"Morning." Effy smiled into the kiss. "Why didn't you wake me up? I would have helped." She yawned and dropped onto the couch beside the red head.

"As if that would have been possible. You were out cold." Sadie laughed. Effy pouted and Sadie rolled her eyes and kissed her again. "It's fine. There wasn't much to do. Besides it's not like you would have been able to blow up balloons anyway. You have shite lungs because you smoke like a freight train!"

Effy glared at her and she laughed again. "Just give me a balloon."

Sadie smiled brightly and obliged.

"Where is the birthday girl anyway?" She asked to distract from the fact she was having difficulty blowing up the balloon.

"Diarmuid took her out for a while. So she could be surprised when the party starts." Sadie explained. "They're probably round Kieran and Gina's."

"So we have the place to ourselves for a while then?" Effy bit her lower lip as her blue eyes danced suggestively.

"Hmm...Yes." Sadie grinned pulling the brunette closer to her and kissing her deeply. The balloons were suddenly forgotten about as the enamoured lovers enjoyed each other's bodies.

"Happy birthday to you..." Anne Marie broke into song when she answered the door to Diarmuid and Aiden.

"You're not allowed to sing!" He held up a finger and quickly silenced his mother. He had been told very specifically this morning that under no circumstances was there to be any singing of the happy birthday song until the actual party. His head still hurt from where his sister had thumped him this morning.

"Oh." Her face fell and she pouted. "I suppose that means I'm not allowed to give her any presents yet either?"

"Definitely not." He shook his head as he lifted the buggy with Aiden still in it up the front steps.

"Hello Dermot." Gina greeted him brightly.

"Hey Gina." He smiled and waved, pushing Aiden into the living room.

"I must say that really suits you." She chuckled and nodded towards the buggy. Diarmuid looked at it like it was suddenly terrifying.

"Oh no." He shook his head. "That is very much Sadie's! No I am just the fun uncle. I like being the fun uncle."

"If you say so." She smiled at him. "Happy birthday Aiden."

"How come you didn't shout at Gina?" Anne Marie demanded indignantly.

"Because she's not singing is she?" He pointed out smugly.

"Well I think it's ridiculous anyway..." She huffed. Gina looked between the pair, she had clearly missed something.

"Are you looking forward to your party?" She asked.

"Yes." Aiden nodded excitedly. "JJ a do magic!"

"Really?" Gina feigned amazement before looking to Diarmuid. "Really? Is he really?"

"Yeah he said he would do a little show at the party today." The boy confirmed.

"That's very nice of him." Anne Marie smiled.

"Are you kidding?" Dermy chuckled. "She has every last one of them wrapped around her little finger. You should see Cook with her."

"Well look at her..." Anne Marie gushed proudly, lifting the child out of her buggy and smothering her with kisses. "How could you say no to a face like this?"

Aiden beamed, lapping up all the attention.

"Come on then...will Granny get you all ready for your party?" She asked excitedly and Aiden nodded.

"Ma what are you?" Her son called after her as she led the child upstairs to the guest room. She ignored him.

"I don't think you're..." He sighed realising she was long gone and gave Gina a what-am-I-supposed-to-do look.

"Let's have a cup of tea." She suggested, not knowing what else to do.

Anne Marie reappeared sometime later and Aiden's hair was a mass of perfectly curled ringlets. He opened his mouth to say something but figured the less he knew about it the less his sister would have to beat him for later so he buried his face in his mug.

"So how did your big dinner go last night?" Anne Marie asked settling onto the couch beside her son. Aiden went to the corner where Gina stored toys for her and began pulling them out onto the floor.

"It went well...I think." He smiled. Katie had text him last night saying her Dad was looking forward to having a new gym buddy and her mum thought he was very polite.

"I told you it would." She gloated. How could anyone not love her son? "And how are things with you and Katie?"

"Great." He squirmed. He had never been comfortable talking to his mother about his relationships; she was prone to discussing sex with him.

"She's coming to the party isn't she?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"That's good." Anne Marie smiled. "I feel terrible that I never really got a chance to talk to her at the wedding."

"Oh." Diarmuid made a strangled noise. The truth was he had put quite a bit of effort into making sure his mother didn't get a chance to talk to Katie at the wedding. The number of ways in which she could embarrass him in front of a potential girlfriend rose exponentially with the amount of alcohol she consumed. "You were busy talking to Emily and Naomi. And Sadie had just started going out with Effy...She probably didn't even notice."

"Well...I'll just have to make up for it at the party won't I?" She smiled contentedly.

"Great!" He cheered sarcastically suddenly terrified on his girlfriend's behalf. "I'm just going to ring Sadie and see if she's ready for us yet."

He stepped out into the hall and frantically dialled his sister's number.

"Hello." She answered, sounding like she was stifling a giggle.

"Hi." He replied shortly. "Have you finished decorating yet?"

"We're nearly finished."

"Nearly finished?" He repeated. "What do you mean you're _nearly_ finished?"

"I mean exactly what I said, I'm _nearly_ finished." She replied impatiently.

"I'm sorry I'm just confused about what's taken you so long." He retorted smartly glad she was on the other end of the phone and therefore couldn't smack him in the head again. There was a brief silence on the line before she responded.

"I...might have gotten a _little_ distracted." He could hear Effy giggling in the background.

"Oh...OH!" He grimaced as he realised what had distracted her and tried desperately to get some unpleasant images of his baby sister out of his head.

"Well...ok...right..." He stammered.

"Spit it out Derm." He could actually hear the rolled eyes in her voice.

"Ma wants to get to know Katie better."

"You're surprised by this?" Sadie chuckled. Things always seemed funnier when they were happening to someone else.

"Not surprised." He sighed. "Scared."

"Ach don't be scared Derm!" She said cheerfully. "It won't be that bad."

"It fucking will." He scoffed.

"It probably will but look on the bright side...at least it's just mum and dad...Effy had to meet a lot more of our family and go to a wedding." She reasoned. His situation did seem to pale in comparison.

"I know but..." He whined. "Sadie can't you stop her."

"Not even if I wanted to dear brother." She laughed. "She's a law onto herself."

"Well she's doing my fucking head in so I'm bringing her round so she can do your head in, ok?" He said cheerfully. "So I suggest you make sure you're decent when we get there!"

"Derm..." She argued but he had already hung up.

Katie stood in front of the full length mirror in their room and inspected her outfit. She wasn't entirely sure what the dress code was for a third birthday party, considering the last one she had been to was James' and she had been 6 at the time. And Dermy's mother was going to be there. Granted Katie had met her at Kieran and Gina's wedding but she wasn't officially dating the Irish boy back then. It would be different this time. She gave one more appraising glance over her black skirt and purple top combination. It worked; dressy but still casual. The top managed to display her breasts, which seemed to have grown since the last time she wore the tip, without revealing them completely. It was the perfect outfit to meet your boyfriend's mother in. Now if only she could stop the damn butterflies in her stomach that were making her want to throw up. She tried hard to remember what Anne Marie was like from the few interactions she'd had with her at the wedding.

"You look nice." Emily smiled when she re-entered their room fresh from the shower. Katie was in a daze, completely unaware of her sister's presence.

"Katie!" Emily said a little louder and it was enough to bring her sister back to reality.

"What?" The brunette looked confused.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked her brow furrowed and her voice filled with concern for her older sister.

"I'm fine." She shrugged. She had just been day dreaming.

"Are you sure?" Emily pressed. "You've been acting a bit weird these past few days."

"Weird?" Katie looked mildly insulted.

"I just mean, you haven't seemed yourself." Emily clarified. She was just worried.

"I'm fine." She assured her, even managing a smile. "I don't know I just feel a bit sick I guess." She wrinkled her nose.

"Are you sure you still want to go to the party?" Emily asked.

"I'm sure. It's probably just nerves, isn't it?" Katie rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't worry so much Ems...you'll get wrinkles."

The younger twin shook her head at the response that was so typically Katie.

"We won't be going to any party any time soon if you don't fucking hurry up and get dressed." She pointed out with a stern look at the red head. Emily couldn't believe she thought there might actually be something wrong with her. No she was definitely back to her old bossy self. She obediently moved towards the wardrobe and pulled out some clothes. A cute floral dress and a pair of tights. She hadn't spent half the amount of time Katie had agonising over what to wear, but then again she wasn't half as nervous as her sister.

Emily and Anne Marie were practically old friends at this stage after that lovely and very detailed discussion about Emily and Naomi's sex life they had shared at the wedding. Emily had done her best to assure Katie that Anne Marie was lovely and quite harmless really, once you got over the embarrassment, but Katie wasn't quite convinced.

"Alright I'm ready." She smiled.

"Good." Katie said in her it's-about-time tone.

"Where are you two going?" Rob asked when they passed him in the hall.

"Dermy's niece's birthday party remember." Katie snapped.

"Is that today?" He knew they had mentioned something about that at some point.

"Yes it's today." Katie replied impatiently.

"Alright have fun and behave yourselves." He tried to sound authoritive.

"It's a third birthday party Dad I doubt there'll be much social distortion happening." Emily rolled her eyes at their over protective yet completely clueless father.

"Well..." He looked confused. "Tell Dermy I said hello then."

"I will." Katie replied already halfway down.

"Good." Rob smiled, feeling rather pleased with himself as he continued on down the hall.

Once they were outside the house Katie seemed a bit more relaxed. Emily knew she must be going through hell stressing about officially meeting Dermy's parents so she spent the entire journey to Naomi's house telling her some of the amusing anecdotes about them she had heard from Kieran and Sadie in the hope that they would make them seem a lot less scary. Katie knew what her sister was doing and she really appreciated it. To an extent it was helping too. She didn't feel quite so nervous anymore, although she still felt a bit queasy. Probably just because she hadn't eaten any breakfast.

"And if all else fails you can always use me and Naomi as an escape." Emily promised.

"I might hold you to that." Katie smiled.

"I'll get it." Dermy jumped up when the doorbell rang.

"Yeah, it's probably Katie." Effy smirked and gave him a look that said she would be enjoying his torture this afternoon. Unable to think of a witty comeback he settled for making a childish face at her then disappeared into the hall. He opened the door to find his beautiful girlfriend, her smiling sister and a cross looking Naomi waiting.

"Hey babes." Katie smiled brightly at him.

"Oh yeah, you're nice to him." Naomi scoffed indignantly. "But when I answered the door all I got was 'Honestly Naomi, do you get dressed in the dark or are you actually colour-blind?'"

The older twin pretended she didn't hear the blonde's complaint as she leaned up to kiss her boyfriend. Emily gave her girlfriend a sympathetic look and they walked past the smitten couple into the living room where is seemed the party was already starting.

"Naomi...Emily!" The toddler squealed with delight when she saw them.

"Happy birthday Aiden!" Emily smiled widely at her. She looked so cute in her teal, floral pinafore dress and her perfectly curled hair tied up in two bunches.

"We got you a present!" Naomi said excitedly, dropping to the floor beside the child and pushing the present towards her. Emily rolled her eyes. Naomi had been as excited about giving the child the present as Aiden seemed to be about opening it.

"Wow." Sadie said enthusiastically as her daughter tore the wrapping paper to shreds. The couple had bought her an in the night garden art set and a my first easel complete with paints.

"She likes colouring in." Naomi explained their choice of gift. She and Emily would spend ages drawing pictures with Aiden when they were babysitting. Sadie forced a smile as she tried not to imagine the absolute mess her daughter would now be able to make.

"Wow look at that!" Anne Marie gasped.

"It's Piggle-Piggle!" Aiden beamed, pointing to the blue character on the front of the art set.

"Wow! You love Iggle Piggle don't you?" Her grandmother smiled.

"What do you say Aiden?" Sadie prompted her daughter.

"Thank you Naomi. Thank you Emily." She grinned and gave them both a hug and a kiss.

"I got you a present too." Katie said sheepishly, bending down to hand the little girl the neatly wrapped gift she had bought. Aiden had destroyed it in seconds.

"How nice of you Katie!" Anne Marie beamed at her son's girlfriend. Katie felt a little more at ease.

"Yeah you really didn't have to do that." Sadie smiled. She was thrilled that they had all warmed to her baby so well.

"Mammy look." Aiden held up the dress that Katie had bought her by the sleeve. "It's a pretty dress."

"It's gorgeous." Sadie took it from her and held it straight. It was a long sleeved black and grey floral print dress with matching tights. It really was lovely. "Thanks Katie."

"Thank you Katie." Aiden said approaching the girl and hugging her leg. Katie froze and let out a nervous giggle.

"You're welcome." She replied curtly; not really sure how to react to the three year old.

Sadie moved their presents over to the table where the rest of her gifts were sitting. Her grandparents had bought her a new doll to go in the pram Sadie had gotten her. Gina and Kieran had given her some classic children's books as well as a couple of gay friendly ones Gina had found on the internet. Her uncle Diarmuid had bought her a multitude of presents including, three DVDs, a jigsaw puzzle, a fairy princess sticker book and a large pink stuffed elephant.

"So Emily, Naomi, how are you?" Anne Marie asked as they all settled onto the couches. "Everything going well with you two?"

"Yeah, great!" Emily smiled.

"Fantastic." Naomi nodded. They wanted to make it very clear they did not need any further advice from her.

"That's wonderful." She smiled warmly at them. "And Katie dear, how are you? Come sit next to me...Is my son treating you well?"

"Yes, he's brilliant." The brunette replied, nervously sitting down beside Anne Marie.

"That's good!" The blonde smiled. "So tell me about you Katie...we never got a chance to talk at the wedding."

Effy watched with great amusement as Katie babbled some random facts about her A-levels and where she grew up. She found it hilarious seeing Katie fucking Fitch shaking in her boots because of the tiny Irish woman. Sadie dug her girlfriend in the ribs. Katie was having a hard enough time without Effy making her feel more self conscious.

"Why don't you give Aiden her gift?" She suggested trying to distract as much attention from Katie as possible.

"Yeah." Effy nodded. She was quite excited about giving Aiden her present. She had a feeling she was going to love it. She struggled to lift the large box down from the table. Diarmuid Senior gave her a hand.

"Wow! It's big enough." He chuckled.

"Jesus! Eff what did you get her?" Emily asked.

"You'll see." The brunette grinned. "Aiden do you want to open your present now?"

"Yes!" She said without a moment's pause and hurried over to Effy. Sadie was curious to see what it was too. Effy had been very tight lipped about what she was giving Aiden for her birthday.

"Mammy look!" She screeched excitedly when she tore away the wrapping paper and saw the picture on the box.

"Holy shit." Sadie muttered. No wonder the box was so big. Effy had gotten her a castle shaped playhouse. She looked between the box and her girlfriend. "That is far too much! It must have cost you a fortune."

The brunette just shrugged and smiled with delight at how much the child liked it.

"That is so cool." Naomi grinned and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Thank you so much Effy!" Aiden beamed and threw her arms around the brunette.

"You're welcome." She smiled back and gave her a squeeze.

"It's practically a present for Sadie as well." Diarmuid joked. "She loves a bit of DIY."

"Just make sure she reads the instructions." Anne Marie said dryly. Sadie had a habit of making flat pack furniture by intuition. "Remember the coffee table she made."

"That was a fantastic coffee table." Sadie pouted.

"It was." Her father agreed, patting her on the back. "But it was supposed to be a TV cabinet."

Everyone fell about laughing while said blushed and made excuses. Effy gently stroked her back assuring her that it probably made a better coffee table.

"I want to play in it now." Aiden tugged on Sadie's jeans.

"Not right now sweetheart. Maybe after the party." She smiled.

"But I want to play with it now." She whined.

"Aiden! After the party." She said using her mum tone.

"Ok." She pouted.

"Good girl." Sadie smiled at her as she wondered off to play with one of her other presents.

"I can't believe you bought her a playhouse." Sadie shook her head at her girlfriend.

"It's just a present." Effy shrugged. She was just glad Aiden liked it. Sadie smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.

The party was small, they had just settled into their lives in Bristol so the party was mostly just family and the few close friends. They had invited a friend of Gina's who had kids around Aiden's age and a young mum who lived 2 doors down with her baby. Now they were just waiting for JJ to arrive so the party could really start. Sadie checked her watch; he said he would be here at 12 and it was now 10 past. It wasn't like JJ to be late. She had a fair idea of what was holding him up though, James Cook. She breathed a sigh of relief when the doorbell rang.

"Alright where's the birthday girl?" Cook boomed when Diarmuid answered the door. He pushed a little pink tricycle through the door and JJ followed behind him carrying a gift for Aiden in one hand and a box of magic tricks in the other.

"Seriously?" The Irish man asked unable to believe he had gotten the little girl such a big gift.

"Yeah." He pouted and shrugged.

Diarmuid held the living room door open for Cook.

"Happy birthday Princess!" He grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow!" The birthday girl screamed, perforating the ear drums of those closest to her. She ran across the room to inspect the tricycle. She toyed with the multi coloured streamers that dangled from the handle bars.

"Do you like it then?" He asked.

"Thank you Cook." She gave him her brightest smile.

"Hop on then gorgeous." He helped her onto the seat. The bike was a little big for her. "She'll grow into it." He nodded and Diarmuid pushed her around the living room on it.

"James Cook." Sadie shook her head. "I can't believe you did that! I swear between you, my brother and Effy you have her spoiled rotten!"

"She deserves to be spoiled." Effy shrugged.

"What a lovely present James." Anne Marie said, throwing her arms around the boy like they were old friends.

"Her first birthday in Bristol, you know, wanted to make it special." He blushed. JJ appeared beside them and handed his gift to Sadie.

"It's nothing special...just a Lego set." He told her.

"That's fantastic Jay she loves blocks!" Sadie smiled at the boy. "And you didn't need to buy her a present you're doing a magic show for her birthday."

The curly haired boy blushed at Sadie's attention. "Yes. Where should I set up?"

Sadie showed him the area she had cleared for him to perform.

"Oh! Oh!" Diarmuid cried out excitedly and rushed out of the room. He returned with a large piece of card board and held it out to the boy. "I made you a sign!" He said proudly.

"Thank you." JJ smiled and looked at the sign. It had a navy background filled with stars and planetary bodies. The words "Magic Man" were written on it in silver glitter. It looked quite cool. Sadie called everyone's attention and JJ began the show. After his first flaming card trick nearly gave Diarmuid senior a coronary, her mother turned to her looking thoroughly impressed.

"You were expecting parlous tricks weren't you?" Sadie grinned.

"How does he do it?" The blonde shook her head. All Sadie's guests seemed pretty impressed with JJ. They had never seen such high quality magic tricks at a child's birthday party before.

"Now where is the birthday girl?" JJ asked. He was like a different person when he performed. No stuttering or awkwardness.

"Here I nam!" She jumped up from her seat on the floor.

"Alright Aiden, would you like to come up here and help me do a trick?" He asked her.

"Ok JJ." She nodded.

"Alright..." He smiled. "Now for this trick, the magic words are Aiden Best."

"That's _my _name." She informed him making everyone laugh.

"Yes it is." He nodded and began to perform the trick. "So now you say the magic words..."

"Aiden Best!" She said, looking quite pleased with herself.

"And voila..." He pulled back the cloth he was holding to reveal a goldfish in a bowl of water.

"Wow!" The child was completely amazed. Cook was entirely amused at the trick; JJ had performed it at his birthday the previous year.

"Maybe your mum might let you keep it?" He asked, looking at Sadie cautiously. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"So Katie, any plans for when you finish college?" Anne Marie asked. She and Katie were sitting in the kitchen having a cup of tea and a chat. As they had promised not to leave her side Emily and Naomi had joined them.

"I'm not sure." She shrugged. "I guess something to do with events planning or management."

"I could totally see that." Naomi remarked dryly. "You'd be good at bossing people around."

Katie shot the blonde a glare.

"I see I'm not the only one who thought of hiding out in here." Sadie chuckled when she walked into the kitchen. Out of all the party guests it was a tossup between Cook and her bother over who was the most childish. She had left her father and Gina in charge of the party games and sought solace in the kitchen.

"If you ever do go into events planning Sadie could help you out with the decorating." Emily suggested. "This place looks amazing."

"Doesn't it?" Anne Marie agreed. "She and Effy were hard at it all morning."

Naomi almost choked on her laughter over the Irish woman's poor choice of words. "I bet they were."

Emily dug her girlfriend in the ribs and the blonde shrugged. Sadie chuckled guiltily knowing the younger girl was right.

"Seriously Annie, you should have seen this place a month ago. It looked like something out of a horror film." Naomi was still amazed by how it had looked. Katie looked at her strangely. A month ago, well that couldn't be right.

"I can imagine she's always loved Halloween only I'm usually there to reign her in." The blonde chuckled. "Katie dear are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She forced a smile although all the colour had drained from her face and the sick feeling in her stomach began again.

"Are you sure?" The Irish woman pressed. "You look a bit pale...would you like to go outside, maybe get some air?"

"No, really I'm fine." She felt her stomach lurch as the words left her mouth. "Excuse me; I'm just going to the bathroom."

Emily, Naomi and Sadie looked at each other in confusion. That was definitely strange.

Aiden ended up falling asleep on the sofa just be for 7 o'clock. It had been a long and tiring day full of fun and games and more cake than she ever imagined. Effy sat in the armchair watching her in amazement. It seemed strange that someone so small could act just like a grown up. The feelings this tiny girl evoked in the brunette were even more amazing. When she fell for Sadie it was completely terrifying but falling for Aiden was easy. She'd never imagined having kids, never. It just didn't seem like something she could do; all that fussing and pretending your interested in things that you really aren't. Now she was finding she was interested. She noticed she was starting to begin sentences with Aiden did the funniest thing yesterday and end them with I'll have to see if someone can watch Aiden. She had opened up her heart and her life to Sadie and it seemed the rest of her family had just pushed in with her and she had to admit, she kind of liked it. Sadie came into the living room and sat down on the arm of Effy's chair, throwing her legs across the brunette.

"She's absolutely wrecked." Effy commented in an amused tone.

"She's had a big day." Sadie mused, resting her head on her girlfriend's.

"It was a great party."

"And no alcohol involved." Sadie chuckled. "I'm going to put her to bed."

"Ok." Effy kissed Sadie's bare arm.

"Maybe when I get her settled, I'll come down and take you to bed too." She poked her tongue out and raised her eyebrow suggestively.

"Would you?" Effy smirked. "Thanks I'm awfully tired." She grinned. Sadie shook her head and bent down to kiss her.

"Not now, but you will be." She pouted seductively as she walked out the door with her daughter in her arms.


	7. Chapter 7

"Fucksake!" Katie groaned in the toilet bowl where she had just puked up the entire contents of her stomach. She reached up and flushed the toilet, resting her head on her arms for a minute while she contemplated whether it was worthwhile trying to get up just yet. Last time she tried she'd only gotten as far as the bathroom door before turning back to throw up again. Wearily she pushed herself up from the floor and moved to the sink. The cold water felt amazing against her flushed skin. She quickly inspected her appearance in the mirror; she looked like shit. She frowned and made an attempt to remove the eye makeup that was now underneath her eyes. Looking marginally better she unlocked the bathroom door and came face to face with her confused looking twin.

"You alright?" The younger girl was clearly concerned.

"Not really...I think I might be pregnant!" Katie sounded kind of shell shocked as she dropped the bomb and walked passed her sister towards their bedroom. Emily was completely stunned. She remained frozen in the spot and blinked a few times before following Katie.

"I'm sorry...what?" She stared at her older twin who was sitting on her be in a daze.

"Which part didn't you understand?" Katie snapped. She really didn't want to have to voice her fears again.

"Shit, really? I mean...have you taken a test?" The red head dropped onto her own bed facing her sister. Katie chewed her lips nervously and shook her head. She knew she would have to take a test eventually, but until she did it was all too easy to pretend like this wasn't happening.

"I just realised on Saturday that I was late." She explained with a shrug. "I guess I'll have to get one won't I?"

Emily nodded weakly, wishing she knew what to say to make her sister feel better.

"How did this fucking happen?" The brunette squealed in anger. "We're always so fucking careful! Really! I mean Dermy won't fucking touch me unless he has a condom. Seriously even when we're drunk and absolutely gagging for it."

Emily wrinkled her nose in disgust; that was more information about her sister's sex life than she ever wanted to know.

"Fuck what am I going to say to him?" Katie pinched the bridge of her nose. "He's going to think I've cheated on him. He's going to break up with me."

Emily moved to sit beside her sister. "Calm down Katie. You don't even know if you really are pregnant yet. You know what; I think you should talk to Sadie."

"What?" Katie looked at her like several heads had just sprouted from her neck.

"I know she's Dermy's sister but she's also been in this situation before. And I know Sadie, she won't say anything if you ask her not to. She might even be able to help you figure out what to say to him." She explained. Katie had to admit it made sense. "Besides, you know what mum's like, you can't exactly take the test here."

"Good point." The brunette conceded. Their mother was not above looking though their rubbish in order to snoop. "Alright, we'll go tomorrow."

"Ok." Emily nodded. She felt completely useless but at least making plans was proactive. She looked deep into her sister's brown eyes and gave a small smile. "It's going to be alright Katie."

Her sister didn't look convinced but she smiled back weakly. "Thanks Ems."

"Anytime."

They were both deep in thought while they changed for bed. Katie was hoping the test would be negative while Emily was trying to figure out what'd they'd do if it was positive. The younger twin was about to turn out the light when she caught her sister looking at her with sad, scared eyes. She gave Katie a nod and a smile and after turning out the light climbed into bed beside her sister. In the darkness Katie curled into her sister's side. She was terrified and only in the dark and privacy of their bedroom would she let that show. Emily wrapped her arms around her sister and kissed her forehead.

"Everything _will _be alright." She promised, even if she didn't know how just yet.

"I know." Katie replied softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With her sister there beside her to ease her fears Katie actually managed to drift off to sleep that night. Emily hardly closed her eyes; instead she lay awake worrying about what would happen when they took the test.

* * *

Sadie was sitting at the kitchen surrounded by books. Her mother and father had gone back to Ireland the previous day, Effy was at college and Diarmuid was at the shop. Aiden was happily playing in her castle. It had taken Sadie and Effy about an hour to assemble it and Aiden had learned a new swear word, but eventually Aiden had a princess castle to call her own in her bedroom. She had hardly come out of it since it was put up. Sadie was taking this rare moment of peace and quiet in the house to look through the books and information leaflets Doug had sent her.

He had informed her that he had enrolled her as an online student so she could work at her own pace and once she had completed the required assignments she could take the tests then she would have her license and could start work. Sadie wondered who this connection of Doug's was if they had to power to allow her to do that. She was really enjoying the material she had been sent. She was engrossed in a chapter about empathy when the doorbell rang.

"Door!" Aiden called from her room.

"Thanks." Sadie muttered, rolling her eyes and chuckling at her daughter's statement of the obvious. She opened the door to find Katie and Emily staring back at her wearing matching worried expressions.

"Hello." Sadie looked confused. "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be at college?"

"I think I'm pregnant." Katie spat nervously in a panic stricken voice. Emily gave her sister a look of disbelief. The older girl had spent the entire journey to Sadie's flat making Emily promise to tell her because she didn't know how.

"Shit!" Sadie said shortly. "I guess you better come in then."

"Emily!" Aiden squealed from the top of the stairs. She had ventured out of her castle to see who was at the door.

"Hi Aiden." She smiled.

"You want play in my castle?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh..." Emily frowned. She really didn't want to disappoint the child.

"Baby, Mummy needs to talk to Katie and Emily for a while...why don't you come down here and watch one of the DVDs uncle Dermy got you and Emily will play with you later?" Sadie stepped in on the younger twin's behalf. Aiden considered the idea for a moment before agreeing.

The twins were sitting at the table when Sadie entered the kitchen after putting a DVD on for Aiden. Seeing Aiden and watching Sadie be a parent completely freaked Katie out. Until now her biggest worries were about being pregnant now she was panicking because she suddenly realised that being pregnant resulted in a baby. A little child just like Aiden. Katie didn't know if she had it in her to be a parent; if she could be a positive and nurturing influence on a child's life. She didn't even know if she could take care of a baby for that matter.

"Ok..." Sadie drew in a deep breath and sat down facing Katie. "You think you're pregnant."

"Yes." Katie nodded.

"Have you taken a test yet?"

"No." Both twins shook their heads. Emily reached into her bag and pulled out the pregnancy test that they had bought on the way over. Katie had point blank refused to take it to the counter to pay for it so Emily had done it for her. The old woman in the pharmacy had given her a scornful look when she'd bought it.

"I see." Sadie nodded and got up from the table, rooting around in a cupboard for something. Emily looked surprised when she pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"This is for me." Sadie chuckled when she seen the red head's expression. "I'm not about to perform a back alley abortion or anything."

The twins giggled nervously as she poured herself a generous measure of the liquid and knocked it back. It was unnerving how calm she was being about all of this. Sadie sat back down at the table and picked up the pregnancy test kit. She laughed to herself because it was the same brand she had bought.

"I take it my brother doesn't know anything about this yet?" It wasn't really a question, more like a confirmation of a fact. Sadie knew that if her brother did know about this she would have heard his head exploding by now.

Katie shook her head solemnly, unable to look Sadie in the eye.

"I suggested she talk to you first." Emily informed her. She didn't want Sadie to think her sister had intended to leave Dermy in the dark about all this.

"That's probably for the best." Sadie smiled reassuringly at the younger twin. Diarmuid would be less than useless in this situation.

"Alright then I guess you should take the test...No sense in freaking out until you know for sure." Sadie smiled reassuringly at Katie although she had a gut feeling the test would be positive; and her gut feelings were usually right about these things. She took a carton of orange juice from the fridge and set it down in front of the brunette twin.

"Bottoms up Juno." She joked trying to lighten the mood. It worked, Katie and Emily giggled slightly.

"Thanks." Katie smiled, looking deeply into Sadie's eyes so she could see the true meaning of the word. Emily had been right, talking to Sadie had made Katie feel better about this. She just seemed so calm and in control of the situation that it eased Katie's mind a little.

"No problem." The red head squeezed her shoulder and gave her a supportive smile. She had not been expecting this when she woke up this morning; or ever for that matter. Her heart went out to the young girl. She remembered the day she found out she was pregnant; it was absolutely terrifying. The poor girl must be going out of her mind. At least Katie wouldn't be alone; she would be there for her.

* * *

"So what made you change your mind?" Kieran raised an eyebrow curiously at the blonde. "I mean...not that I'm no thrilled, because I am! I was just wondering why?"

"I haven't changed my mind." Naomi said quickly. "It's just I was talking to Sadie the other day and she convinced me that it couldn't hurt to look at courses."

"I can't believe she thinks she won't be any good at that councillor's job." The Irish man chuckled.

"I know." Naomi rolled her eyes.

"Well I looked into a few politics courses for you." Kieran rummaged around on his desk for the brochures he had got for her. She looked mildly interested as she thumbed through them.

"Oxford?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"They have a great PPE programme." He nodded encouragingly. "Philosophy, Politics and Economics...would be very good for you."

"Yeah...but Oxford, Kieran..." She shook her head. No way would she ever get into Oxford.

"You have the brains Naomi. And the talent, there's no reason you couldn't go to Oxford." He shrugged. She looked at him doubtfully. "You'd probably be the first ever Roundview student to go there though." He scoffed. "They'd probably name an award after you."

"Oh yeah." She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I can see it now, the Naomi Campbell award for excellence."

"It could happen." He shrugged; as both her teacher and her step-father he hated to see her sell herself short like that. "Just...take a look at the brochure."

"Alright." She sighed and smiled. She was secretly enjoying the father-like way in which Kieran was talking to her. It was nice having him in her life, caring for both her and her mother. She would probably never tell him that though, but he knew how she felt.

"So Emily never turned up then?" He asked. He had noted that the twins had not shown up for registration but thought they might show up later. His registration class wasn't really an important thing.

"No." The blonde shook her head, tying to hide how concerned she was that Emily had skipped school without telling her why. "Must be a family thing." She shrugged.

"Yeah. I'm sure it's nothing major anyway." He tried to reassure her. "Well go on, get out of here! I'm sure you don't want to waste the rest of your free period hanging around here."

"No." She laughed and got up to leave. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him. "Thanks Kieran." She smiled.

"Anytime kiddo!" He nodded back at her.

* * *

Sadie, Emily and Katie were still sitting around the kitchen table staring at the pregnancy test. Katie had drunk the entire carton of orange juice but was insisting she didn't have to go to the bathroom.

"You can't hold it in forever." Sadie said pointedly.

"I know." Katie pouted. She just didn't feel prepared to find out the truth yet. "Alright...I'll go."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Emily asked. She wanted to do everything she could to be helpful.

"I'm sure I can manage to piss on a stick without assistance." Katie snapped. Emily shrunk into herself slightly. She was only trying to help. Katie realised what she'd done and shook her head.

"I'm sorry Ems." She said sincerely, looking deep into her sister's eyes. "I'm just a little...tense."

"It's ok." Emily assured her. She was well used to Katie taking her moods out on her. At least this time she had a decent excuse.

"Right well I'll just go..." Katie was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Her heart stopped and all three of them froze to the spot. Katie began to panic about how she would explain this to Dermy when he walked in and saw her holding a pregnancy test.

"Hello." Effy's voice broke the silence and they all breathed a sigh of relief. The brunette poked her head through the kitchen door.

"What are you doing here?" Sadie raised her eyebrow suspiciously at her girlfriend. "Shouldn't you be in college?"

"Shouldn't _they_ be in college?" She challenged, looking at the twins who both looked nervous. "What's going on?"

"I'm pregnant!" Katie sighed dejectedly.

"What?" Effy's aw dropped at the revelation.

"You _think_ you're pregnant." Sadie corrected the older twin. "That's why you're taking the test, to find out."

"Right." She nodded. Suddenly the litre of orange juice she had just consumed was pressing against the walls of her bladder. "Be right back."

Emily and Sadie looked at each other with matching worried expressions. There was nothing they could do now except wait.

"So why aren't you in college?" Sadie asked Effy, looking for a temporary distraction.

"What?" Effy had been lost in thoughts about Katie being pregnant. "Oh Josie is off sick...or at a course or something." She shrugged. "So I had no classes this afternoon."

"I see." Sadie replied thoughtfully. "Maybe we should wait upstairs in my room." She suggested, thinking that the kitchen wasn't exactly a place she wanted a stick of Katie's pee to be.

They met Katie in the landing and the moved silently into Sadie's bedroom, each of them takin a seat on the bed. No one really knew what to say. They waited in silence, taking it in turns to cast nervous glances at each other.

"Time's up." Sadie broke the silence. Everyone's eyes snapped to Katie expectantly making her suddenly wish she'd done this alone. She never would have done it alone though; she would have buried her head in the sand and allowed herself to believe none of this was really happening. She released a nervous giggle and picked up the test stick holding it face down.

"I can't." She shook her head and looked away. All of this was too much for her; she didn't trust her eyes to read the result. "Please, can you just..." She held it out to Sadie.

Sadie stood up, holding the test in her hand while everyone looked at her for an answer. She drew a deep breath and uncovered the window that displayed the results. She bit her lower lip thoughtfully and nodded, bracing herself for what was to come.

"It's positive." She announced. The words cut through the silence like a blade cutting through flesh. They seemed to linger in the air waiting to be absorbed by the other occupants of the room. She turned the test around so they could see the word **pregnant **displayed in blue letters.

Emily and Effy were stunned into silence and Sadie was just waiting for Katie's reaction.

Katie felt her heart stop beating in her chest and it seemed all the air inside her lungs had frozen. She couldn't move and she couldn't breathe but still she could feel the fear bubble up inside her. It rose from the very tips of her toes and spread throughout her entire body materialising as tears welling up in her eyes. Sadie jumped into action. She knew what was about to happen. Three and a half years ago she had been where Katie is now so she knew that an audience was the last thing she needed right now.

"Get out." She told Emily and Effy, trying to be as polite as possible. "Now, go!" She insisted.

"But..." The younger twin began to argue. She didn't think she should leave her sister. She didn't know what she would do if she stayed. She had no idea what she should say to make her sister feel better but she knew she didn't want to leave.

"Emily, please." Sadie interrupted her. "Just trust me, ok."

The red head stood up reluctantly still unsure about whether or not she should go. Katie began to hyperventilate and Emily realised that Sadie was the best person to soothe her right now. She nodded and followed Effy towards the door.

"Eff..." Sadie called as the brunette walked out the door. She stopped and looked back at her girlfriend. "Could you give Aiden some lunch when you're down there?"

"No problem." Effy smiled slightly and she and Emily left the room.

Instantly Sadie crossed the room to Katie, enveloping the younger girl in her arms and then she waited; waited for the words to sink in and their meaning to register. Katie just stood there unresponsive. She felt numb. She had heard the words come out of Sadie's mouth and seen them with her own eyes but it still didn't seem real. She felt like she was watching the scene from the other side of the room. Like it didn't really affect her; she was just watching. Slowly the realisation dawned on her though and those words, those life changing words, were absorbed into her brain and the tears that had been welling up in her eyes began to fall.

"It's ok." Sadie soothed, kissing her hair and gently stroking her back. "It's going to be ok."

"I want spaghetti hoops!" Aiden informed Effy and climbed up onto her chair.

"Alright then." Effy smiled and set about making the child's lunch.

Emily sat down at the table beside Aiden, deep in thought.

"You should probably call Naomi." Effy suggested snapping the red head back to reality. "She's been worrying all day."

"Shit!" Emily internally kicked herself. She vaguely remembered receiving a text from the blonde but that was when they were in the pharmacy so she had been too distracted to reply. She quickly pulled out her phone her fingers typing a lengthy apology to her girlfriend and promising her she would explain everything later. When she looked up again Effy was helping Aiden get the spaghetti hoops on her spoon. She studied the look on the brunette's face as she helped the child. She never noticed before how natural Effy's interactions with Aiden seemed. It suddenly occurred to Emily that her sister was really pregnant. And that meant that in about 9 months time Katie was going to have a little baby of her own to look after. A little tiny person like Aiden. The thought weighed heavily on her mind.

"Everything ok in here?" Sadie asked with a nervous smile.

"How's Katie?" Emily asked desperately.

"She's ok." Sadie assured her. "It's a lot to take in, you know, she's just having a little lie down."

"She must be going mad." Effy mused.

"You could say that." Sadie nodded.

"I've finished!" Aiden beamed proudly.

"Good girl." Sadie smiled at her daughter and ruffled her curly hair. Having spent the morning remembering how she felt when she found out she was going to have Aiden she had the strongest urge to pick the little girl up and hug her tight; although she knew if she did her daughter would just look at her strangely.

"You want to come play Emily?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh..." The younger twin felt terrible that she was about to disappoint the child for the second time that day but there was too much going on in her head for her to play.

"I'll play with you." Effy offered. Emily gave her a thankful look for saving her from being the bad guy.

"Okay!" Aiden smiled.

"We can use your new blocks to build a castle...inside your castle." The brunette suggested.

"Yes!" She cried excitedly. Effy picked the toddler up and carried her out of the room leaving Sadie and Emily alone for a much needed chat.

"She's really great with her." Emily commented idly looking at the door where the two girls have just disappeared.

"Yeah." Sadie sighed contentedly, a broad grin pulling across her lips. Realising how completely sappy she was being she shook it off. "Well now she is. At first she was a little bit nervous, slightly uncomfortable maybe but she got the hang of it." She said proudly.

"Hmm..." Emily hummed thoughtfully.

"So how is Katie...really?" The younger twin asked, her tone of voice making it crystal clear she wanted an honest answer.

"She's more than a little freaked out." Sadie levelled with the younger girl. "I told her not to worry about anything or even think too much about it just yet...just to let it sink in, you know? Accept it. Then when she's a bit more settled she can consider her options."

"Options?" Emily repeated the word, then realised what Sadie meant. "Oh...options."

"Yeah." Sadie chewed her lips anxiously.

"Do you think she wants a termination? I mean did she mention it earlier?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. The thought of her sister aborting this baby upset her and made her a little angry.

"No, no, she didn't say anything like that. I don't know what she wants." Sadie hurried to explain. "But it is always an option, isn't it?"

"Did you ever consider..."

"No!" Sadie said firmly. "I mean it's not like I'm morally opposed to the idea or anything but when it came down to it I just couldn't. I didn't even think about it."

"I don't think I could either." Emily said softly, hoping her sister would feel the same way. "How do you think Dermy will take it?"

"He'll be shocked...and scared." Sadie chuckled. "But he'll be there for her. And he will support her no matter what she decides. He might be a bit of a tit sometimes but he loves your sister and he'll do anything for her."

"I know." Emily smiled. The only good thing about this situation was that it was happening with Dermy and not one of Katie's scummy exes. "I think he should be the least of her worries to be honest."

"Your parents probably won't react to well." Sadie scoffed.

"I doubt it." Emily rolled her eyes. Her parents would go fucking mental when they found out. Another item on the list of things she was worrying about.

Hey, are you ok?" Sadie asked quietly, covering Emily's small hand in her own. "This must be pretty tough for you as well."

"I'm fine." She tried to sound convincing. "Thanks Sadie." She looked up gratefully with those big brown eyes and it made Sadie's heart melt slightly; she was so sweet.

"For what?" The older girl shrugged and gave her a warm smile. That's when Emily realised, it wasn't just that Sadie was Dermy's sister or Naomi's step cousin; she was family. She was kind and loving and helpful. That's why Emily had known they should come to her for help. She knew Sadie could help make everything feel ok.


	8. I think I need to sit down

Sadie and Emily were sitting in the kitchen having a much needed cup of tea when Katie poked her head in through the door. Her eyes were puffy from crying but she was smiling at them.

"Hey how are you feeling?" Emily asked with a hopeful smile.

"I'm ok." Katie assured her twin. "I feel a bit sick. Only I'm not sure if its pregnancy related or because of the nerves."

"Probably both." Sadie got up to make the older twin a cup of tea.

"Oh good." She replied dryly. Constantly feeling sick and getting fat; pregnancy really did seem like a barrel of laughs. She thanked Sadie for the tea and sat down beside her sister. She felt Emily reach across and squeeze her hand, letting her know she was there for her.

"So what now?" Katie asked taking a large gulp of the tea and letting its warmth spread through her body. "I mean shouldn't I be taking vitamins or meditating barefoot or something?"

"If you want." Sadie chuckled, glad that Katie was starting to make jokes. "You'll have to make a doctor's appointment. They'll be able to tell you more about vitamins; don't know about the barefoot thing though."

"I have to tell Dermy before I do any of that though don't I?" She sighed, feeling her heart race in her chest. Sadie smiled happy she wouldn't have to keep this from her brother.

"He'll be ok with it, you know?" Sadie promised her. "He'll support you no matter what."

"Yeah." Katie nodded. She knew that. She knew he would be the most supportive person in the world to her but still the thought of telling him terrified her. "Will you help me?" She implored his younger sister.

"Of course I will." Sadie nodded. She figured she would need to be there for Katie's sake as much as Dermy. He was not the most eloquent person when it came to situations like this. Sadie would need to be there to translate his frightened grunts for his girlfriend.

"Thank you Sadie." The brunette said gratefully, looking at the Irish girl with those same brown eyes that Emily had given her not an hour beforehand. "For everything."

"Don't mention it." Sadie shrugged. She knew what the girl was going through if she could help ease her mind in any way she would.

* * *

"Who the bloody hell is that now?" Sadie wondered when the doorbell rang. It seemed like her apartment was becoming a sort of halfway house.

"Oh...it's probably Naomi." Emily admitted sheepishly.

"Ah! I was beginning to wonder when she would show up." The Irish girl joked as she got up to answer the door.

"Is everything alright?" The confused and slightly worried Naomi asked when Sadie opened the door. "Emily told me to meet her here."

"Everything's fine. They're in the living room." Sadie nodded towards the door. Naomi looked even more confused at the word they.

"What's going on?" She asked when she found Emily and Katie lying up on the couches in the living room.

"I'm pregnant!" Katie put it bluntly, getting straight to the point. She was going to have to get used to saying that wasn't she?

"Shit!" Naomi breathed. That definitely wasn't the news she was expecting. "Are you ok?"

"I just found out I'm pregnant Naomi, I wasn't involved in some industrial accident." Katie spat. Naomi nodded. She imagined what Katie would be like over the coming months when she would be fuelled by pregnancy hormones; it wasn't a pleasant picture.

"I just meant...you must be freaking out." The blonde tried her hardest to sound sympathetic.

"Well yeah...a bit." The older twin conceded, feeling a little bit guilty for jumping down Naomi's throat.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you." Emily frowned. "I was just...a bit preoccupied."

"It's ok." Naomi reassured her, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "I was just worried." She admitted reluctantly exposing her softer side in front of Katie and Sadie.

"Well ain't that sweet?" Sadie teased, earning herself a glare from her step-cousin.

"Where's your other half then? I noticed she left school at lunchtime so I assume she's here." Naomi tried to turn the teasing around on Sadie.

"She's upstairs with Aiden." Sadie chuckled at what the younger girl was attempting to do.

"Talking about me again?" They turned to see Effy standing in the door with Aiden on her hip. "I kept her upstairs as long as I could but she's getting tired and wants to watch the end of her DVD."

"Alright sweetheart." Sadie smiled, taking her daughter from Effy. She felt a bit bad for putting her daughter out but knew that having a 3 year old running around while someone was freaking out about being pregnant would not be helpful.

"So what are we watching Aiden?" Naomi asked.

"Monsters Inc." She smiled. "Do you like it?"

"I love Monsters Inc." Naomi grinned. Aiden scrambled onto the couch beside her and Emily to watch the film.

Katie watched as the little girl became engrossed in the film, only taking her eyes from the screen to ask a question about what had happened or to point out things to her mum. She looked from Aiden to Sadie noting all the similarities in their appearances. She began to wonder idly whether the little baby growing inside her right now might have any of the same traits as its cousin or its auntie. Would she have Dermy's red hair? Or would he have Katie's brown eyes? Shy like his father or loud like her mother? Her hand subconsciously moved to sit on her belly.

"Shit is that the time?" Sadie gasped when the credits rolled. She cast a nervous glace at Katie. "Dermy will be home soon."

That nauseous feeling stirred up inside her again and the colour drained from her face. Suddenly her decision to tell Dermy sooner rather than later seemed like a terrible idea. Surely it couldn't hurt to wait for just a little while. Like until the child was old enough to tell him itself. Sadie recognised the panic in the younger girl's eyes instantly.

"It's going to be fine." She promised. "Alright I need you and you out of here." She pointed to Naomi and Emily. "I love you both but the less people we have here the better."

"Ok." Naomi nodded. Anything she could do to help ease the situation she would. Emily looked at Katie and frowned. She didn't want to leave her sister but she knew it was for the best.

"And you." Sadie pointed at her girlfriend. "You're in charge of minding my daughter."

"No problem." Effy agreed.

"If you need me call!" Emily urged her twin wrapping her arms around her before leaving.

"I will." Katie promised.

"Fuck!" Naomi said when they were on the street. "Poor Katie!"

"I know." Emily sighed, looking back over her shoulder feeling as nervous as her twin was.

"She'll be alright." Naomi assured her, sensing her girlfriend's anxiousness. "Sadie will look after her."

"I know." Emily sighed again and forced a smile.

* * *

"I'm home!" Diarmuid called cheerfully when he arrived home from work. Sadie and Katie were sitting in the kitchen waiting for him. Katie froze when she heard his voice.

"I can't do this." She shook her head and stood up from her seat.

"Sit down!" Sadie ordered. It was time for a bit of tough love. "It'll be ok."

"Derm, could you come in here for a second please?" She shouted. Katie looked at her wide eyed and petrified. Sadie gave her a stern look and squeezed her hand reassuringly at the same time.

"What's up?" He asked with a smile when he walked through the door. Katie felt like she was about to throw up all over the kitchen table. He looked from his sister to his girlfriend and a panicked look swept across his face. "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Sadie assured him. "Sit down. Katie wants to talk to you."

"Right?" He looked confused as he took a seat facing his girlfriend.

"Dermy." She began then bottled it. Sadie gave her a nudge under the table. She drew a deep breath and tried again. "Diarmuid...I...I...have to tell you something."

That was as close as she could get to telling him. The words I'm pregnant just wouldn't come out of her mouth the way they had when she told Naomi or Effy. Probably because it didn't really affect them the way it would affect Dermy.

"What is it?" He asked gently, offering her a kind smile. If only he knew he wasn't helping. He cast a worried look at Sadie who nudged Katie again.

"Dermy...I'm pregnant." She released a breathy sigh. There she'd said it. He knew now. No going back. She held her breath while she waited for his reaction which probably wasn't a good idea considering how long it took him to respond.

For a good five minutes after he heard Katie's news Diarmuid didn't move; he hardly blinked. Pregnant. The word bounced around inside his brain, getting louder every time it ricocheted off his skull. The first word that he came up with on his own was fuck. The second was how?

"Dermy?" Katie said. She really needed him to say something.

"Give him a minute." Sadie smiled at Katie to reassure her.

"I think I need to sit down." He croaked his voice hoarse from all the open mouth gawking.

"You are sitting down." Sadie informed him.

"Good." He smiled and nodded.

"You alright bro?" She asked tentatively.

"Yeah...yeah!" He smiled broadly, like he'd just suffered some kind of psychotic break and his head was suddenly a quiet place. "I just need to sit."

"Ok." She smiled back at him. Katie gave her a what-should-I-do look.

"Just let him sit." She shrugged. He just sat there in stunned silence for another five minutes. Katie had to admit she'd been expecting more of a reaction; some shouting or maybe even some crying, at least she would have known how to handle shouting or crying. This silence she didn't know how to handle. She hadn't a clue what it meant. Sadie was still smiling at her though so that gave her a little confidence.

"Oh this looks like it could take a while." Sadie groaned, pushing herself out of the uncomfortable dining chair and moving to the sink to fill the kettle. "Brew?"

"Why not?" Katie sighed heavily. It didn't look like her boyfriend was going to be saying anything anytime soon. Sadie made 3 cups of tea and sat one down in front of her brother's face. The steam rising from the mug seemed to reawaken him to the real world.

"Thanks." He nodded to his sister and took a large gulp of the warm liquid. She gritted her teeth and sharply motioned towards Katie with her head.

"So..." He said and took another mouthful of tea. "Pregnant?" The word felt strange coming out of his mouth.

"Yeah." Katie replied quietly, sipping gently on her tea.

"Do you know...when it happened?" He asked. "I mean we always...we're always...careful." He suddenly wished he wasn't having this conversation in front of his baby sister.

"We are." She agreed. She was just as confused as he was. "I don't know how it happened but it happened about 6 weeks ago."

"You know condoms aren't 100% effective." Sadie pointed out, trying hard to keep the grin from her face. "Mum's told you that loads of times!"

"Thanks for the information." He glared at her then fixed his gaze on Katie again. "How do you feel?"

"Sick." She answered honestly. It wasn't an emotion but it was the most prominent feeling she was experiencing right now. "And a little bit scared. You?"

"Scared, yeah that sounds about right." He nodded. "I mean in like 8 months I'm going to be a daddy!"

He chuckled when he heard it said out loud. "I'm going to be a daddy." His grin was so infectious Katie couldn't help but smile as well. He got up out of his seat and moved to wrap her in his arms and kiss her. He nudged Sadie in the side. "Did you hear? I'm going to be a daddy."

"Yeah I heard!" She laughed at her brother and gave Katie an I-told-you-so-look. The younger girl just smiled and blushed slightly. "Now if you'll excuse me I already _am _a mummy so I better go feed my offspring."

Sadie left the couple alone to share this moment. There was still a lot for them to talk about. A lot of things that would be difficult for them and some things they didn't really want to do but for now they should be allowed to just be happy.

* * *

"We brought Chinese food and dinner guests." Sadie announced when she walked through the door. "Oh!" She squealed when she found her brother and Katie in a rather compromising position on the couch. She quickly covered Aiden's eyes while Effy, who was holding her, tried hard not to laugh as the two quickly fixed themselves up. Emily and Naomi just didn't know where to look.

"So this is how you celebrate being pregnant?" Sadie asked with an amused chuckle. "More shagging?"

"Yeah isn't that what got you into this situation in the first place?" Naomi smirked.

"Exactly so we have nothing left to lose." Diarmuid smirked back at her.

"Not true!" Sadie argued. "You could end up with twins."

"That can't happen!" He scoffed.

"Yes it can!" She insisted.

"No it can't!" He repeated.

"Yes it can! I read it one of my pregnancy magazines!" She informed him triumphantly. "This woman was pregnant but her ovaries released another egg and she had sex with her husband and ended up pregnant with 2 babies."

"Really?" He asked his voice suddenly tight with fear. "You're winding me up aren't you?"

"No it really did happen." She grinned. "But I think they said the chances of it happening were like ten million to one of something if that makes you feel any better."

"It does not." He shook his head. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Come on before the food gets cold."

The little dining room table struggled with the sheer volume of people sitting down to eat at it. Dermy had to bring the patio chairs in from the balcony for Naomi and Emily to sit on. The meal was consumed in a hum of animated chatter with everyone reaching across each other and stealing food from each other's plates. The atmosphere was so light hearted that Katie almost forgot about all the stress she'd been through that morning. Almost. It was a lot to handle; being pregnant. At least Dermy had reacted positively to the news. Not that she'd expected him to leave her alone in this but it was nice to know she'd been right. Looking around the table she knew she wouldn't be alone at all. From her sister to Dermy's sister and Effy and Naomi she had loads of people around her to help her when she struggled.

"So...do you think it's too soon to tell my Ma?" Dermy asked meekly with a mouthful of satay noodles. Katie gave him a terrified look.

"You want to tell your Mum...like now?" She couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, why not?" He shrugged. "Unless it's too soon. I know some people say you shouldn't tell people until you have your first scan and get the OK from a doctor."

"I don't know." Katie really wasn't up to date with the normal pregnancy conventions. He looked to Sadie to see if she had the answer.

"What are you looking at me for?" She held her hands up. "It's up to you."

"I think I'll phone her." He smiled and nodded.

"Uh...babes." Katie tried to sound cheerful. "Are don't you think we should wait for a little while?"

"Why?"

"We _just_ found out today and I don't know about you but I'm having a hard time dealing with it right now. I don't think I could handle your mother's disappointment right now." She looked terrified. She didn't want Anne Marie to disapprove of her.

"You think she's going to be disappointed?" Dermy looked confused. Katie gave him a look that he took as a definite yes. He laughed. "Seriously? Have you met my mother?"

"I just don't want her to think I'm...irresponsible." Katie frowned sadly. It was one of those rare moments in which she allowed other people to see her when she was vulnerable but she figured they had been with her to watch her take a pregnancy test so what did it matter now.

"She's going to be thrilled." He stood behind her and rubbed soothing circles on her arms. "Sure it wasn't exactly a planned pregnancy but that won't matter to Anne Marie! She's going to be ecstatic!"

"He's right!" Sadie agreed with her brother. Her mother would be over the moon about having another grandchild to spoil. "Plus you won't have to deal with all the I'm too young to be a grandmother stuff because well I already did." She joked. Katie still didn't seem convinced but her boyfriend seemed so excited to tell his family, and wasn't that supposed to be a good sign. It clearly meant a lot to him so she forced a smile and gave him permission to make the call.

* * *

"Hello?" Diarmuid senior answered the phone.

"Hello Da?" His son's voice replied on the other line. "Is Ma there?"

"Aye."

"Go get her will you I have something to tell you." He asked excitedly.

"What is it?" Diarmuid senior enquired.

"Just go get Ma and I'll tell you what it is then!" His son snapped impatiently. Whatever this news was it must be good. He sighed and groaned as he pushed himself out of his seat and went off to find his wife.

"Annie!" He called trying to find her. "Annie Derm's on the phone he wants to talk to us."

"I'm in the study!" She shouted back so loud that Dermy heard her on the other line.

"Since when do we have a study?" He asked his father.

"Since you moved to Bristol and you're mother moved her computer into your bedroom." He explained.

"So what I don't have a bedroom anymore?" He asked indignantly, momentarily forgetting why he rang.

"No you do...and now it's got a computer in it too!" Diarmuid senior put a positive spin on it. "Anyway I've found her...now what's this news?"

"Am I on loudspeaker?"

"No."

"Could you put me on loudspeaker please?" He sighed, only his father could make something like a phone call seem complicated.

"The green button aye?" The older man sounded perplexed. In his day there was none of this loudspeaker business.

"Aye!"

"Go on now see if it's workin'!" His father instructed.

"Hello?"

"Hello son!" Anne Marie shouted so loudly that he could probably hear her in Bristol without the phone.

"Hello Ma!" He responded, clearly getting tired of all this messing around.

"Your Da says you have news?" She prompted him.

"Yeah...well...Katie's pregnant."

"What?" Anne Marie screeched so loudly that everyone in the kitchen in Bristol heard her. "Really?"

"Yeah...we just found out today." He replied sheepishly.

"Congratulations son." Diarmuid Senior coughed gruffly. He wasn't good with all this emotional stuff but he knew his son seemed to really love Katie. And he knew he would do right by this child so he was happy for him.

"Oh...that's fantastic!" She smiled. She knew full well this was an accident but who was she to judge. Katie seemed like a lovely and responsible girl and she knew her son would be an excellent father. Sometimes life just throws these things at you and they turn out to be the best things that ever happened; like Sadie and Aiden. "How is she?"

"She's fine...a bit shocked but we're ok. We're happy." She could tell by the sound of his voice he was happy.

"That's great son! Have you made a doctor's appointment yet?"

"No we only found out this afternoon." He hadn't even begun to think about all the things they would need to do, like doctor's appointments and baby shopping and stuff.

"Well you'll need to make one soon. How far along does she think she is?" Anne Marie's interfering side started to show through.

"6 weeks."

"Well you'll need to get a move on. Does Katie have a good doctor?"

"I'm sure she does." He groaned. Why had he thought involving this woman would be a good idea?

"Well let me know when you're going to the doctor. I'll light my wee candle." She smiled. She was so happy for her son.

"I will. I promise."

"Now I have an excuse to visit more often." She gushed. She knew it would be difficult being so far away from Dermy and Katie with all this going on. Especially since she was so involved in Sadie's pregnancy.

"Oh...good!" He tried to sound pleased. He knew his mother meant well but she could be a pain in the ass too.

"Right well. I love you son but get off the phone some I have some calls to make." She said excitedly, already thinking about who she was going to tell first.

"Oh Ma!" He groaned. "Please don't make a fuss."

"I'll do as I please!" She replied indignantly. "Love you son and please give my love to Katie!"

"Love you too Ma!" He was about to hang up when he heard his parents talking on the other line.

"Is it off? Diarmuid how do I get this speakerphone thing off?"

"Just hang up like you normally do."

"Really does that wor..." Dermy laughed as the line went dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Ok so sorry it took me so long to update, I'll try to get back into updating asap! Until then here's just a little update to remind you this still exists and hope you like it!

* * *

"I'm nervous, are you nervous?" Dermy asked, holding Katie's hand tightly and jumping around excitedly in his seat. They had been sitting in the doctor's surgery for about 10 minutes now and Dermy had been annoying her for 9 of those minutes. She had to keep reminding herself that his enthusiasm was a good thing and that he was a very kind, loving and supportive boyfriend because otherwise she would have killed him by now.

"Of course I'm fucking nervous!" she sighed, earning herself a glare from an elderly patient sitting nearby.

"It'll be fine though," he tried to reassure her, "I'm sure it'll be fine!"

She shot him a look that told him it would be better if he kept his mouth shut until the midwife called them in. He smiled at her and remained silent or the next 3 minutes. He never once let go of her hand though; it remained tight within his grip, with his thumb gently stroking the back of it.

"Katie Fitch?" A tall, blonde woman in her late 20's appeared in the door and called out her name. Katie and Dermy looked at each other, took a deep breath and stood up. The midwife offered them a friendly smile before leading them down the hall into an examination room.

"Take a seat," she encouraged as she sat down at the desk and opened Katie's file. She scanned the information then looked up at them and smiled. "Alright let's have the introductions first then shall we? I'm Jennifer and I'm your community midwife."

"Katie Fitch," the brunette managed a weak smile.

"Diarmuid Best, but you can call me Dermy," he reached out to shake Jennifer's hand.

"And are you the father?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, I am," he smiled proudly.

"Congratulations!" she smiled. Katie started to feel a bit better; Jennifer seemed very nice and friendly, she didn't seem judgemental at all. "Alright then let's get started shall we? First of all I'm going to need to ask you some questions, quite a lot of questions really, just to give me a better idea of your health and anything we can expect to see in the pregnancy. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead," Katie nodded.

"So when was your last monthly period?"

"October 6th," Katie answered with some certainty. She had done some serious calculation and date checking before she took her test.

"Ok, about 7 weeks ago then. Have you been pregnant before, suffered a miscarriage or had an abortion?"

"No," Katie shook her head. This was an entirely new and frightening experience for her.

"Do you or your partner have any family history of any of the following conditions?" She rhymed off a long list of conditions, illnesses and diseases. She proceeded to ask about Katie's lifestyle, units of alcohol consumed, whether or not she smoked.

"That's great, thank you. Well everything seems to be fine so far," she nodded encouragingly. "Now we'll use the date of your last monthly period to calculate your due date but I'll also contact the hospital and get you booked in for what's called a 'dating scan' which is basically a quick ultrasound to basically check make sure everything is ok and to measure your baby. That will give us a better indication of how far along you are. It will also let us know if it's just the one baby or if there are more."

The same worried thought flashed across both their minds at the same time; twins! Jennifer continued happily oblivious to the panic she'd just set off. She grabbed the nearby blood pressure cuff and held it out, waiting for Katie to extend her arm.

"So how are you both feeling?" she asked over the whir of the machine.

"Nervous," Katie smiled weakly.

"Yeah, scared," Dermy agreed.

"Well that's normal," Jennifer gave a small chuckle as she recorded Katie's blood pressure on her chart and asked her to step onto the scales.

"I'm excited too though," he added.

"Well that's good," Jennifer nodded, tightening a tourniquet around Katie's arm. "This might hurt a bit."

"Fuck!" Katie squealed as the needle entered her skin.

"Looks like I'll never get to tattoo you," Diarmuid joked. Katie glared at him, but was too busy holding her breath to shout at him.

"You're a tattooist?" Jennifer asked, seeming genuinely interested. She removed the needle from Katie's arm and the twin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah he just opened a new shop in town," Katie bragged on his behalf. "It's amazing!"

"Very nice," she smiled warmly at them. "No doubt my little sister will be in to see you soon then, she's been banging on about getting a tattoo for ages. At least now I know who to hunt down if it turns out wrong."

Diarmuid gave a scared smile.

"I'm joking," Jennifer laughed. "And we're pretty much done here. I'm just going to give you a few information leaflets about the different types of antenatal care available and some about what to expect during your pregnancy, you know so nothing scares you. I'll arrange an appointment for your first scan as well and you'll get a letter in a couple of days telling you when and where that is. Have either of you any questions for me?"

"Not really," Katie shook her head. She had no idea what she was supposed to ask.

"Alright then," she smiled and closed their file. "It was lovely to meet you both. I know being pregnant can be a bit frightening at times so please if you have any worries or concerns, don't hesitate to call me, ok?"

"Thank you very much!" Diarmuid grinned broadly and gave her a firm handshake.

"Yeah thanks," Katie smiled. Jennifer had actually made her feel a bit better about the whole thing.

"That went well, didn't it?" Dermy nodded enthusiastically when they left the doctor's office.

"Yeah it did," Katie agreed. "She seems nice."

"Lovely," he nodded. "Not that we really need to worry about that, Sadie's already been through all this before, it's like having our own live-in midwife."

He stopped and stood in front of her, taking her hands in his own and looking deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure you're ok with all of this?" he asked. "Because _you're _the most important thing to me and I want you to be completely happy."

"I'm fine!" she nodded. "I'm sure."

And she was. She hadn't been at first, for a few days she'd been terrified and conflicted over her decision but she knew it was the right choice. She loved Dermy and maybe it was early in their relationship and completely unplanned but she knew she wanted to go through with this pregnancy and she knew he would support her throughout.

"I love you," he smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you too."

When Diarmuid arrived home Sadie was sitting in the kitchen frantically typing on her laptop. There were textbooks and papers and three half empty cups of coffee sprawled over the table.

"So how did it go?" she asked, looking over the screen of her laptop at him.

"It went well," he nodded. "Just routine things, checking weight and blood and things, you know? We don't have a family history of diabetes, do we?"

"No," Sadie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I didn't think so," his brow furrowed. "Anyway, yeah the midwife seems really nice."

"That's great!" she smiled. When she was pregnant with Aiden her midwife had been a complete nightmare. Sadie often thought she might have been better suited to a life as a nun rather than a career in midwifery.

"They're going to send us out an appointment for one of those scan things." He flicked the switch on the kettle and took two cups out of the cupboard.

"A dating scan."

"Yeah, that one." He couldn't wait for the scan; he couldn't wait to see the baby, his baby, on the screen. He joined Sadie at the table handing her a mug, cocking his head to one side he realised how quiet it was. "Where's Aiden?"

"Well Diarmuid, she's three now so I thought it was about time she got a job," she said with a straight face worthy of an Oscar. "So I sent her out to pick fruit at a local farm."

"I know you're joking but that could be true...she's very clever," he laughed.

"Gina took her for a while this afternoon to let me get some work done, Naomi and Emily took her to the park when they got home from school. Gina said they'd drop her off. I think they're enjoying playing lesbian moms," she laughed.

"You get much work done?"

"Yeah, turns out it's actually much easier to get stuff done when there's nothing to distract you."

"So that's why Effy's not here then," he teased, poking his tongue out at his sister. She glared at him and kicked him under the table.

"Yeah I've almost finished this essay I just want to finish this little bit and then we can have dinner, I made stew," she continued despite his comment.

"You want me to help?" he offered, trying to be a helpful brother.

"No thanks!" she shook her head. "Is you're girlfriend coming for tea?"

"No, she has a Fitch family dinner to attend," he grimaced. He knew how much she hated those.

"Sounds like a world of fun," Sadie said sarcastically.

"Is _your_ girlfriend coming for tea?"

"Probably," Sadie shrugged and smiled. Effy's presence in the flat was almost constant and she loved every minute of it. Being with her was just easy; she had fit so easily into their lives it was scary. Sure enough Effy showed up at the flat just before Naomi arrived back with Aiden. The little girl ran into the kitchen jabbering about her trip to the park. Apparently there had been someone there with a dog and she had been petting it and it was all very exciting.

"Wow, were you a good girl for Naomi and Emily?" Sadie asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," she replied with some certainty. "And I got a hurt on my leg!" she informed her mother, pulling up her trousers to show a fresh graze on her knee.

"Oh dear," Sadie bent down to kiss it better. "How did that happen?"

"I fell," she shrugged. "Effy look!" she turned on one foot to show Effy her war wound.

"She was running towards the slide and she tripped," Naomi explained, looking incredibly apologetic. "I'm sorry; she just sort of got ahead of us. She didn't even cry or anything, I think Emily was more upset by it than Aiden was. Sorry."

"What are you saying sorry for?" Sadie shook her head. "She scraped her knee it's not like her leg is hanging off. Children fall over all the time, she's fine."

"I know, but still..." Naomi broke off. She just felt guilty about it.

"It's fine!" Sadie assured her. "Are you staying for tea?"

"What is it?"

"Stew."

"Yeah, I'll have some," she nodded. She'd never eaten stew before that was until her life filled up with Irish people; now she had developed quite a taste for it. She took a seat beside Effy and settled into the relaxed family atmosphere in the flat.

"So I said 'With an attitude like that you'll never get Fitched!' and he just lay there on the ground whimpering like a baby," Rob shook his head as he regaled his family with tales about his day.

"Some people just don't have what it takes," Jenna humoured her husband. In reality she didn't give the slightest shit about fitness, but if it made Rob happy and kept him out of the house during the day then she would continue to pretend.

"So James-y how was school?" Rob smiled affectionately at his son. James began to prattle on about his day and all the wonderful things Gordon McPherson had said that day while Katie poked at the chicken and vegetables on her plate. By her mother's standards it was actually one of her better dinners, at least this meal included meat as a staple ingredient, but she just felt too nauseous to eat.

"Emsy, what about you? How was your day?" Rob asked, cutting over the top of his son who he was certain was about to say something rude.

"Fine," Emily shrugged. He father waited for her to elaborate. "I got an A on the English project me and Naomi did together," she offered. That had happened over a week ago but she couldn't think of anything else to tell him.

"That's wonderful Emily!" he smiled broadly at her.

"Yes, well done," Jenna echoed with a tight lipped smile over the mention of Naomi's name.

"Katiekins?" he asked when he was satisfied with Emily's response.

"It was alright," she shrugged dismissively.

"How's Dermy doin?" he enquired.

"He's fine!" she answered quickly.

"I haven't seen him down the gym yet."

"Yeah...he...he's still pretty busy with the shop," she nodded. The truth was now that Katie was pregnant Dermy had no intention of ever going near her father's gym in case Rob tried to kill him.

"You should tell him to get down to the gym," Rob urged her. "I can't wait to see what he can do."

"You should invite him round to dinner again," Jenna added.

"Yeah, I will," she lied. "Can I be excused?"

"But you've hardly touched your dinner," her mother frowned.

"I know...I'm not really hungry," she replied lifting her plate and carrying it into the kitchen. When she didn't hear any yelling for her to come back she carried on up the stairs.

"I'm worried about your sister," Jenna said to Emily, shaking her head and looking at the door. "She hasn't been at herself lately."

"Oh...I'm sure she's fine. There's a bug thing going round school maybe she's just coming down with that," she shrugged, trying hard to think on her feet.

"Maybe," Jenna mumbled but she wasn't convinced. She was sure there was something else going on. Emily finished her dinner quickly and ran upstairs to check on her sister. She found Katie in their room lying on her bed flicking through a magazine.

"You alright?" Emily asked with a small smile.

"I'm fine," Katie rolled her eyes, "just far too irritable for a Fitch family dinner."

"Then you really are fine," the younger twin laughed. "How did it go at the doctor's today?"

"Yeah it was good," she nodded. "The midwife seems really nice. She did some tests and gave me loads of information leaflets and said she'd send out an appointment for a scan."

"That's good," Emily nodded. It was all starting to seem real now and slightly scarier too. "And you...you're ok?"

"Yeah," Katie took a deep breath and nodded. "I mean obviously I'm freaked out about the fact that I'm growing a tiny human being inside me, worried about how I'm going to cope when that tiny human being is born and completely terrified about telling Mum and Dad about all this, but oddly enough I'm ok," she smiled. "Dermy makes me feel like it's going to be ok."

"That's great!"

"I know! If this had to happen I'm glad it happened with him and not one of those other losers I used to date. He's been so amazing and supportive. I think I'm the luckiest accidentally pregnant 18 year old on the planet," she chuckled slightly. Emily laughed out loud at her sister's final statement.

"Yeah I think you are," she agreed.

"My parents want you to come round for dinner again," Katie informed her boyfriend the next day while they were having dinner at his flat with Sadie and Aiden. Diarmuid's fork stopped halfway to his mouth and his head snapped round to look at her.

"That's not going to happen," he laughed like it was the most foolish thing he'd ever heard. Katie gave him a look that told him it was happening. "No way Katie! I can't go round there! I won't go round there!"

"You have to otherwise they're going to know something's wrong!" she pointed out.

"I can't! Sweetie you know I love you and I would do anything for you but not that...I mean apart from the fact that I won't be able to look either of your parents in the eye without panicking that they know and are planning to kill me, I'm afraid I'll do something stupid and let it slip that we're having a baby," he tried to explain to her.

"If you don't come round Jenna's going to get suspicious and when Jenna gets suspicious she starts to snoop! She'll find out and it won't be pretty," she shook he head. "I know you don't want to come and I really hate making you do this, but I just need a bit more time before I'm ready to tell them. This is the only way to get her off my back for a bit, please?"

When she looked at him with those pleading brown eyes he never stood a chance at saying no. "Fine!" he huffed, frowning like a child.

"Thank you!" Katie leaned over and kissed him.

"Well any advice?" he asked his sister, who had been very quiet during their little discussion.

"A sedative and a shirt that is sweat resistant, that's all I can really offer you," she shrugged, trying to hide how entertaining she was finding her brother's current predicament.

"Thanks," he rolled his eyes.

Later that evening when Katie had gone home Diarmuid dropped onto the sofa beside his sister.

"There's not a hope in hell that this dinner is going to go well, is there?" he sighed.

"Nope," Sadie replied frankly. "Best case scenario is you don't accidentally tell her parents you knocked her up and you get to walk out of the house with both legs still working and your genitals still attached to your body."

"That's real comforting Sade, thank you, real comforting,"

"What can I say, I love you too much to lie to you," she smiled sweetly at him and they both laughed.

"Remember when we thought moving to Bristol would make our lives _less _complicated?" he asked.

"Vaguely," she mused.


End file.
